Tornado Cuts A Swath Through West Iowa Town

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: npr

A large tornado flattened a grain elevator and destroyed homes and buildings on its weekend rampage through the small western Iowa town of Mapleton. Authorities reported no serious injuries.

"It was huge, just huge," said Thomas Mohrhauser, an attorney in the town of about 1,200 people. "It just kept getting bigger and bigger."

Mohrhauser said the tornado appeared to be about a quarter-mile wide when it cut a northwest path through town Saturday evening.

National Weather Service meteorologist Van DeWald confirmed that Mapleton, located about 40 miles southeast of Sioux City, received "quite a bit of damage" from the tornado, which hit about 7:20 p.m. Saturday.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/10/135287395/tornado-cuts-a-swath-through-west-iowa-town?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[liberal N proud]

1. Small towns never recover from these devastating events

The loss of people and property kills the community. They come together immediately following the storm and people from all around come to help and this is the great thing about Iowa, but so many communities never recover once hit.

This one sounds bad too.

I grew up less than 50 miles from there and seen this happen before. Thoughts are with these people through this ordeal.

[MuseRider]

2. They can and they should look this up.

http://www.greensburgks.org/

[SkyDaddy7]

3. YES! That town is a Conservatives nightmare!...

Unless of course they have been there & been shown like a child how much money it saves to go GREEN!

My brother works for the Federal Government (GSA)...And when President Obama started the Green Projects on Federal Buildings like new windows, insulation & especially "Green Roofs" my brother was responsible for seeing to it many of the Federal Buildings he was responsible for underwent these renivations...Well, several people (Building Contractors & other typically Conservative people in Georgia) referring to "Green Roofs" made the accusations that these changes were just busy work, wasted tax payer money or all the above which were nothing but "Stupid Liberal Ideas"! Basically they were laughing at the idea of plants, shrubs & trees on the roof of a building...UNTIL they saw how much it has reduced the cost to heat & cool the building! Simply painting the roof of a building white in areas were it does not get that cold drastically reduces the cost of cooling buildings!

This is why President Obama had the Federal Government do it first...Some people have to have their damn noses rubbed in something before they open their eyes!

I have several Conservative friends who are literally so willfully ignorant when it comes to many issues but especially Green Tech...They have let talk radio convince them that solar, wind & other green ideas like green roofs are nothing but "Stupid Liberal Ideas"!

I hate generalizing or painting a whole group of people as stupid or ignorant but I swear I have yet to personally meet a person who claims to be a conservative that does not hold utterly ignorant views on many of the very important issues we face today!

[Omaha Steve]

4. Tornado uproots 400 residents

Source: Omaha World Herald

MAPLETON, IOWA — Some residents here are dazed as they walk around their devastated town.

Others weep after a tornado ripped through the small community about 7:20 p.m. Saturday.

The huge, centuries-old trees the town is named for are wrapped around houses and on top of cars.

Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt told reporters 100 of the town's houses are uninhabitable. Out of the town's roughly 600 homes, another 360 are damaged.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20110409/NEWS01/110409791#tornado-uproots-400-residents

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Photo: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20110409&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=110409791&Ref=AR&maxw=600&maxh=400
Dave Witzel was was working in his fields when the tornado that damaged much of the town came through. He returned to his home pretty much destroyed.

JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD

[aquart]

5. "Centuries-old trees."

Are we getting the hint yet? Things have changed.

[xchrom]

6. Was this a conservative county?

Do they want federal assistance or even state assistance?

[liberal N proud]

7. Steve King is their rep

[xchrom]

8. Then Steve should oppose state or federal help.

I mean - to keep true to conservative values.