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.