4/11/08

current event
title:

who:Storms pound heartland; 2 die in Oklahoma flooding

what:A line of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and even snow pounded the nation's heartland on Thursday, flooding nearly 200 roads in Missouri, closing schools in Arkansas and ripping the roofs of dozens of houses in Texas.

when:4/11/08

where:ST. LOUIS, Missouri

how:Rescuers using ropes and life jackets pulled nine people from the offices of the Monett Times newspaper after the Kelly Creek burst its banks and surrounded the building. Police said the creek also threatened other businesses in downtown Monett and forced the evacuation of a nearby trailer park with about 10 to 12 homes.
Times publisher Lisa Craft said the afternoon newspaper's presses were high enough not to be threatened. But she said it was unclear when staff could get back in the building.
National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Fuchs said the Meramec, the eastern Missouri river that flooded in March and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents, could reach what the service considers "major" flood stage in Arnold, about 20 miles south of St. Louis.
In Texas, at least 100 homes and buildings were damaged in West Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A gas field worker who was inside a trailer south of Fort Worth when a possible tornado struck had an arm severed up to the elbow.
Straight-line winds carved out a destructive path across the city of Hurst, just east of Fort Worth. Downed trees littered residential neighborhoods, blocking streets, snapping utility poles and snagging power lines. Some large tree trucks had snapped just a foot or two above ground level.