WOODWARD, Okla. (AP) – When a tornado shrouded in darkness hit
Woodward, Okla., early Sunday, many residents relied on TV to warn
them of impending devastation. Others learned of the monster
twister from neighbors or calls from relatives.
One backup they couldn’t count on was the town’s 20 outdoor
tornado sirens, which were knocked out by lightning.
The storms caused multiple outbreaks of severe weather most of
Sunday from Kansas to Minnesota. The National Weather Service’s
Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., took the unusual step of
warning people more than 24 hours in advance of a possible
"high-end, life-threatening event."
In the end, only the Woodward tornado proved fatal, killing five
including three children. Residents and officials in hard-hit areas
of Kansas, Iowa and elsewhere credited the urgent warnings with
saving lives.
