Deadly Storms Wreak Havoc Across Three States
March 1, 2012
A powerful storm system that spawned multiple tornadoes from Nebraska to Kentucky early on February 29 smashed parts of the Midwest, causing widespread damage in Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. Much of the small eastern Kansas town of Harveyville was left in rubble. In the Ozark resort city of Branson, Missouri, a tornado ripped roofs off hotels and damaged some of the city’s famed music theaters. Storms left at least 13 people dead, 6 of them in the southern Illinois town of Harrisburg. A tornado leveled much of that community of 9,000 people.
A tornado's winds can swirl at speeds of hundreds of miles or kilometers per hour, hurling debris in all directions. © Gene & Karen Rhoden, Peter Arnold Images/photolibrary
According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that touched down in Nebraska caused little damage. It was, however, the first known twister ever to hit that state in the month of February.
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