http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20010410/ts/weather_tornado_dc_1.html

Tuesday April 10 11:55 PM ET

Tornado Wreaks Havoc in Missouri College Town

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Reuters) - At least 50 homes and businesses were heavily damaged when a tornado ripped through this college town Tuesday. The twister struck Warrensburg, a community of about 15,000, around 6 p.m. CDT, ripping roofs from buildings, tearing at least one mobile home in two and downing power lines.

Residents were alerted to the impending twister with sirens and other emergency alerts and there were no reports of injuries as of Tuesday night, said Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Harrison.

But the storm did do ``a great deal of damage,'' Harrison said. Emergency workers were still assessing damage levels late Tuesday, and it is believed that the extent of the destruction will exceed the 50 homes and businesses known to be damaged so far, he said.

Several dormitories and other property on the campus of Central Missouri State University were among the buildings hit.Power remained out for several residents late Tuesday night. Shelters for displaced residents were operating at City Hall and at a local church.

The tornado grew out of a severe storm system that dumped torrential rains and hail on several areas through Kansas and Missouri Tuesday evening.

-- SWissrose (cellier3@mindspring.com), April 11, 2001