Search on for survivors after Kansas tornado hits

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (Reuters) - Rescue crews used dogs and flashlights to comb piles of debris that once were homes and businesses in Greensburg, Kansas, on Sunday, in a meticulous search for survivors of a killer tornado.

At least eight people died when the twister hit the farming community on Friday night and another was killed in nearby Stafford County. At least 50 people were injured, some critically, authorities said.

A 10th person died and three people were injured on Saturday night when another tornado touched down in southwest Kansas not far from Greensburg.

Authorities searching Greensburg on Sunday said 30 people were rescued from that town's crumbled hospital, and they said it was likely that more survivors, and possibly more victims, would be discovered.

"There is the potential of others still being buried in the rubble, people being trapped in basements," Kansas Emergency Management spokeswoman Sharon Watson said. "The focus is on covering a large area as fast as possible."

Some 90 percent of the businesses and homes in Greensburg, a town of about 1,800 people, were damaged or destroyed when the mile-wide tornado and winds of 165 mph (265 kph) roared through.

Watson said assessment teams were to start trying to gauge the cost of the damage during the day.

Greensburg resident Bruce Foster, 50, said he rode out the storm in the basement of a friend's house, huddling under a mattress with a group of neighbors.

"The house started shaking and dust was falling. Our ears started popping and then it got all calm," Foster said. "We went upstairs and the house was gone, all gone. There wasn't any furniture or anything."

President George W. Bush declared the community a major disaster area and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery in Kiowa County, where Greensburg is located.

"Our hearts are heavy for the loss of life in Greensburg, Kansas," Bush said after attending church in Washington. "I'm confident this community will be rebuilt."

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also declared a state of disaster emergency for Kiowa County.

In southwestern Kansas residents still struggled to comprehend the losses.

'JUST GONE'

"They're still going through a little bit of shell shock," said Red Cross worker Ralph Rojas, who helped operate a shelter where about 50 Greensburg residents spent the night.

"There are still people looking for family and friends," Rojas said. "There is a major portion of the community just gone."

Greensburg's hospital and schools were among the buildings destroyed. The water tower next to the town's main tourist attraction -- the world's largest hand-dug well -- was knocked down. The town nursing home was nearly leveled.

About 30 survivors were found in the remains of the hospital, according to Watson.

"There was a warning in time for people to take cover so that helped," she said.

In addition to the tornado that touched down Friday night, about 9:45 p.m. CDT (0245 GMT on Saturday), at least three more hit the region Saturday night, the National Weather Service said. Damage teams on Sunday were assessing the impact of those storms as well.

One man in Ottawa County, Kansas, was killed in the Saturday night storms, said Watson. He was staying in a camper when the twister hit. Three others also in the camper were injured, she said.

The storms left power out throughout Kiowa and surrounding counties along with a near shutdown in telephone communications. Outside the county, farm sheds, house windows and shingles were reported blown out and major damage was reported to a feed mill.

An oil pumping station was also blown over and oil tanks blown up to half a mile away.

The peak U.S. tornado season runs from March through early July; the twisters kill an average of 70 people in the United States each year. The worst cluster came April 3-4 in 1974 when 307 people died as 148 tornadoes touched down in 13 states.

The most violent single tornado appeared on March 18, 1925, killing 689 people as it ran from Missouri across southern Illinois into Indiana.