TORNADO STORIES

 These articles are reprints from the Pittsburg Morning Sun.   A huge "thank you" to the Morning Sun for their excellent coverage of the storm and the aftermath.  

May 5, 2003
Franklin Suffers Heavy Damage
Twisters Kill 7 in SE Kansas
Tornado Leaves Trail of Rubble
Many Left Without Electricity
May 6, 2003
Residents Sift Through Damage, Organize Relief Efforts
Picking Up The Pieces
County Death Toll Remains at 3
Power Company Employees Working to Restore Power
May 7, 2003
Obituary - Josephine Maghe
Bush Issues Disaster Declaration
As Shock Subsides, Cleanup Efforts Begin
Workers Close To Returning Power to Storm Victims
Assessing the Damage
Praeger Offers Reassurance to the Victims
Kline Warns Victims of Potential Scams
The Long Road Ahead
May 8, 2003
Residents Ponder Franklin's Future
Agencies Attempting to Reduce Health Risks of Clean-up Efforts
Clean-up Efforts Progressing in Crawford County
May 9, 2003
Boil order lifted for residents with undamaged water service
Crawford County, agencies set up disaster hotlines
Pets also tornado victims
Victims warned against fraud scams
Businesses doing their part during relief effort
May 10, 2003
Salvation Army volunteers making presence known
County asked to consider Franklin's future
Brownback promises aid
May 11, 2003
Twisters unfortunately synonymous with Kansas
May 12, 2003
Franklin incorporation discussed

                     


May 13, 2003
Surveying the devastation
May 14, 2003
Emerson outlines procedure for Franklin to pursue incorporation
National Guard joins cleanup efforts
May 15, 2003
Some examinations provided by life, not classroom
May 16, 2003
Disaster Child Care offering free services for many area residents
May 17, 2003
County urges continued work on Franklin sewer district
May 19, 2003
Franklin sewer financing in question after tornado
May 20, 2003
PHS Students help with clean-up efforts
May 26, 2003
Leaders invite Franklin to join Arma
May 28, 2003
Cleanup proceeding at rapid pace
County continues discussing Franklin annexation    
June 9, 2003
Residents want specifics on annexation
June 11, 2003
A temporary place to call home
June 22, 2003
Opposed to Franklin annexation  
PHS student raises funds for relief effort
June 27, 2003
Future of Franklin Post Office topic of Sunday meeting
June 30, 2003
Combo may be post office's best shot
July 2, 2003
Crawford County Commission Meeting
July 9, 2003
Emergency landfill available - for a fee
August 20, 2003
Grant to help Franklin build new community center
September 20, 2003
Franklin council to meet Oct. 5
September 22, 2003
Franklin rebuilding community
October 3, 2003
Franklin Council to meet Sunday
October 6, 2003
Franklin looks for ways to accept financial help
April 5, 2004
Franklin hoping for pressure from officials
April 23,2004
Knights of Columbus celebrate centennial
April 24, 2004
Commissioners discuss Franklin storm siren
County to use Homeland Security grant to acquire command center
April 28,2004
Tree planting set at Franklin
April 30, 2004
Arbor Day activities planned throughout Pittsburg area
Volunteer help needed to clean storm damage
May 1, 2004
Establishing new roots in Franklin
May 3, 2004
Franklin plans spring cleanup
May 4, 2004
FEMA, grants have helped with rebuilding process
Communities plan services to commemorate anniversary
Franklin tornado victims look back on a year of emotional, physical hardships
One year later
May 5, 2004
How fragile, how strong-Franklin observes anniversary of tornado
May 27, 2004  
Storms rumble through county
May 28, 2004  
A year later, area residents taking warnings seriously
Area storm damage minimal


Franklin suffers heavy damage
May 5, 2003
By BILL McMILLEN
Morning Sun News Editor
FRANKLIN - Tim Sayre took a deep breath as he looked over what had been the site of his family home near the intersection of Seventh and Broadway in Franklin.
All that was left was a concrete porch, with indoor-outdoor carpet still firmly attached, and concrete blocks that had served as the foundation for the house where Sayre and his family had lived the last 14 years.
"It was right here," he said. "Right here."
Until Sunday afternoon, when a tornado ravaged Crawford County, leaving a 20-mile-long, half-mile wide path of debris in its wake. At least four people were killed, including an elderly woman who lived across the street from Sayre.
"It's the first time I've been in one," Sayre said. One was more than enough.
"We were in the neighbor's basement," Sayre said as he surveyed his property, looking for belongings that were few and far between. "As soon as they sounded the sirens, we were gone."
And about half an hour later, so was much of Franklin.
But in the basement of the home of Gayle Hribar, Sayre and his family were safe. Hribar's house also was destroyed - dozens of homes in a two  square milearea essentially disintegrated.
"I guess we were down there for about 30 minutes," Sayre said as he assured a neighbor that his wife and three children were safe. "Everybody (in the family) is OK."
"It's just unreal," said Tracy Whetzell, who lived on Grapevine Street about half a mile from the main path of the tornado. Unlike many in Franklin, Whetzell still had a house.
"We had a tree uprooted, dumped across the driveway," he said. "The house? It's fine."
May Jeffrey also considered herself fortunate. Jeffrey, at 1004 S. Broadway in Franklin, just north of the U.S. 69-Kansas 57 junction, wasn't home when the storm hit. Concerned about her dog, Cheyenne, Jeffrey drove toward Franklin but pulled off the road across from Frontenac Express when she heard the storm warnings.
After the storm passed, she continued home to find many shingles gone from her roof. A section of her fence is gone from the backyard and a utility shed had been moved a couple of feet off its moorings.
"It blew part of my fence away," she said, looking over the debris and trying to figure out where all of it came from. "I'll have to have a new roof."
But Jeffrey - and Cheyenne - were fine.
"She probably hid under the bed," Jeffrey said with a laugh. "She was glad to see Mama."
Jeffrey said she was glad she wasn't home to experience the storm, even though the worst of it hit about half a mile north of her house.
"I'd probably been scared spitless," she said.
Continuing north on Broadway - Old 69 Highway - the damage got progressively worse. In Jeffrey's neighborhood, treetops were ripped off, roofs were damaged and cars were peppered with hail ranging in size from marbles to baseballs. Just north, however, entire trees were uprooted, tossed onto houses. And north of that, near Seventh Street, the damage was devastating.
"It don't take long to lose everything you've got," said one Franklin resident.
"I've never seen anything like this," Whetzell said.
"My house is gone and my van is gone," said Sayre, loading up what few things he could find into the back of a heavily damaged pickup truck. The van, like the house that had been there only an hour earlier, was nowhere to be found.
"I've got to go find my van," he said. "And my gun cabinet."   Back to top


Twisters kill 7 in SEK
May 5, 2003
Officials: At least four dead in Crawford County

By The Morning Sun
-
Four people were killed and more than a dozen were injured by the biggest tornado to hit Crawford County in recent history. Storms claimed at least 10 lives in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri.
Cutting a path nearly half a mile wide, the tornado touched down near McCune, in western Crawford County, around 4:40 p.m. Sunday and churned its way across the county through the outskirts of Girard, the tiny community of Ringo, into Franklin and the fringes of Mulberry before moving into Missouri.
Two deaths were reported in the Girard area and a third was an elderly woman in Franklin. The fourth Crawford County death was reported by the state adjutant general's office and had yet to be confirmed by Crawford County officials.
"We have three confirmed fatalities right now," said Crawford County  CoronerDr. Adam Paoni from a makeshift morgue at Smith-Carson-Wall Funeral Home at Girard. "I don't have any more information than that right now."
Names of the Girard area victims were not available. The Franklin victim was identified at the scene as Josephine Maghe, whose body was found by emergency personnel in the rubble about 50 yards north of where her house once stood on Broadway Street in Franklin.
They are the first tornado related fatalities in Crawford County since a Mulberry woman was killed by a storm in the 1983. And they were among at least 10 people killed in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri on Sunday.
Cherokee County Sheriff Bob Creech said three people were killed when a tornado hit south of Columbus around 6 p.m. One death came when a mobile home "disintegrated" about three miles south of Columbus, Creech said. The other two were in a house that was destroyed near Crestline.
Another person died west of Liberal, Mo., according to Barton County Sheriff's Deputy John Simpson, and the Jasper County Sheriff's Department reported two fatalities near Carl Junction, Mo. There were no available reports of injuries in those counties.
Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg reported treating at least 15 victims from the Crawford County tornado Sunday evening.
"Two in surgery, two in (intensive care unit)," reported nursing shift supervisor Henry Ford. "The rest were minor injuries, cuts and things like that," he said.
Ford said a couple of people treated for chest pains Sunday night were apparently stricken after weathering the storm or learning of it.
At Hospital District No. 1 of Crawford County at Girard, five people were treated for storm-related injuries, according to Connie Womble, director of nursing. Two victims were transferred - one to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Ks. ., and the other to St. John's Regional Medical Center at Joplin, Mo.
Hospital District No. 1 and Mt. Carmel both were prepared for the influx of storm victims.
"We had a tremendous response," said Dennis Nehls, director of the Girard hospital, which put in place a disaster plan, mobilizing staff and volunteers.
Mt. Carmel took similar preparations.
"We had two (operating room) crews, extra lab, extra x-ray folks and extra (emergency room) folks waiting," said Krista Postai, vice president for marketing and planning. "From the storm until the time we got our first patients was an hour to an hour and a half, so we were very well equipped and actually relieved that there were fewer injuries that we expected. Initial reports sounded pretty scary."   Back to top


Tornado leaves trail of rubble
May 5, 2003
By BILL McMILLEN
Morning Sun News Editor
It was believed to be the worst tornado in Crawford County history. It left death, injury and destruction in its wake. And it changed the lives and landscapes of the Pittsburg area so quickly, few people had taken the time to figure out what they were going to do next.
"You can stay with us," said a woman hugging a suddenly homeless relative after the storm Sunday afternoon devastated a neighborhood at Franklin. "Don't worry about that. You can stay with us as long as you need to."
The state adjutant general's office reported four fatalities in Crawford County. At least 20 people were treated at area hospitals for injuries caused by or related to the tornado that touched down near McCune and mowed a half-mile swath for nearly 20 miles.
Makeshift shelters were set up in three area communities as dozens of homes were destroyed, maybe as many as 100 were damaged and scores of residents were without power or other utilities.
A temporary shelter was set up at the Mulberry Senior Citizens Center. Red Cross relief shelters also were opened at St. Joseph's Catholic Church parish hall at Arma and St. Michael's Catholic Church parish hall at Girard. Many Arma-area residents went to USD 246 schools for safety during the storm; Arma schools plan on serving meals today to persons who have been displaced by the tornado as well as to emergency personnel. Schools will be closed to classes.
"We're hoping to have school on Tuesday," said USD 246 Superintendent Marvin "Buddy" Bualle. "We'll try to get back to normal as quickly as possible, but with Franklin and Mulberry both being hit... we can't get buses around in those areas."
The school buildings, he said, were not damaged.
The Franklin Post Office was destroyed - along with more than a dozen homes in the community south of Arma. According to postal officials, mail for Franklin residents will be sent to Arma, where patrons may pick it up at the service window.
The Crawford County Sheriff's Department was manning two command centers Sunday night, at Chicken Annie's east of Girard and near Seventh and Broadway in Franklin.
The tornado touched down around 4:40 p.m. near McCune and followed a path that took it through portions of Girard, through Ringo, into Franklin, south of Mulberry and into Missouri. It took roughly 15 minutes for the tornado to tear up a large chunk of the county.
Bill Davis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield, Mo., said he could not categorize the tornado until NWS officials survey the damage today. County, state and federal officials also are expected to assess the damage.
Richard Mapes, of Mulberry, said he saw the tornado pass. It touched down about two blocks from Mapes' house.
"It was only a quarter mile," he said. "I was there."
He said he stood in the street and watched as the tornado tore through Franklin before approaching Mulberry.
A woman who identified herself only as "Ms. Bellamy" said she saw the tornado from her home about a quarter of a mile east of the Kansas 57-U.S. 69 junction, known in Crawford County as Ginardi's Corner.
"I watched it go across the middle of the field across from my house," she said. "The wind was very strong. I tried to close my back door but I couldn't because of the wind, and that was the inside door. The storm door was already closed."
She said she rode out the storm, despite the high winds, heavy rain and tennis ball-sized hail.
"I didn't take cover. I didn't think it was that bad," she said. "Believe it or not, I wasn't really scared. I've been here 38 years and this is the first time I ever saw anything like this."
At Franklin, few people stayed to watch the storm. Most sought shelter or left home to get out of the path.
"It's just unreal," said Tracy Whetzell, surveying what had been a residential area in Franklin that now was scattered piles of rubble. Whetzell's home suffered no apparent damage. But about a quarter of a mile away, on the main street through town, destruction was everywhere. Dozens of houses were gone; some were marked by piles of rubble, others only by the remnants of their foundation.
Emergency personnel sifted through that rubble looking for survivors while others tried to locate residents, going door-to-door in areas where houses still stood. Collecting names, addresses and whereabouts of residents was about the only way county officials could keep track of who was safe, who was injured and who was missing.
Emergency efforts were complicated by a swelling number of onlookers and relatives who were searched for loved ones; it was difficult at times to sort emergency workers, volunteers and residents from those curious to see the devastation.
"We've got to get this area closed off," said Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton from the Franklin command post on the middle of Broadway.
Broadway - old 69 Highway from Ginardi's Corner to the south edge of Arma - eventually was closed to all but emergency traffic. Kansas Highway 57 was closed from the U.S. 69 junction at Ginardi's Corner to the Kansas 7 junction in Girard, although many people snaked through county roads to view the storm damage.   Back to top

Many left without electricity
May 5, 2003
Sunday's storms left thousands of Crawford County residents briefly without power. Others may be without lights for days.
Don Hill, regional supervisor for Westar Energy, said late Sunday that crews were still doing damage assessment, but miles of 69,000 and 160,000 volt transmissions lines were down.

Hill said crews from throughout southeast Kansas were in the field and more were on the way.

"Our big problem is that we have a substation - the Mulberry substation - that was totally destroyed and we are in the process of figuring out how we can build something in there," Hill said. "We have temporary substations, but there is a lot of work and repairing to get something online. We are just in the planning stages there."

The substation served Arma, but by 11 p.m. Westar switched the city to another source. The substation also served Franklin and Mulberry.

The transmission line to Girard was also down, but with the supply lines down the city fired its own power plant and power was restored by 9 p.m.   Back to top

Residents sift through damage, organize relief efforts
May 6, 2003

By OLIVE L. SULLIVAN
Morning Sun Staff Writer
ARMA - Buddy Bualle is exhausted. Like many others in Crawford County, he spent Sunday evening helping friends and neighbors sift through tornado damage and organizing relief efforts.

As Superintendent of Schools for Northeast USD 246, Bualle called off school for Monday, although school will be held today. He said parents of students who have been displaced by the storms need to contact the school to arrange transportation.

"We'll get them to school if we just know where they are," he said.

Bualle said sports events scheduled for Monday and Tuesday were canceled as well.

"Our priorities switched on us very quickly.

"We've got kids without homes," he continued. He knows of at least six Franklin families without homes. "And there may be more."

Among the homeless are his son's in-laws. "I walked through there last night. I saw a lot of parents without homes, or just thankful they had just a little damage."

Bualle headed home Sunday night about 9:30 p.m., but found he couldn't sleep. At 2:30 a.m., he gave up the battle and got up.

"Even if it doesn't physically affect you, the emotional toll does," he said. "First you go numb. It's a small town, you know everybody. A lifetime of stuff's gone."

Eric Whetzell, Mulberry, was in that numb state. "Tornado wiped out my house," he said at the Red Cross shelter in Arma's St. Joseph's parish hall. "I was there 'til the last minute. Seen the neighbors leave, then I heard the roar and then I just got out."

His wife and four children are safe, but the house is gone, along with everything they own, including clothes.

"Tried to scrounge around for clothes, but most of them were mangled up," he said.

Half his house is across the street from its foundation, while the other half is in a nearby strip pit.

Whetzell applied to the Red Cross for immediate relief, receiving boxes of food and packets of personal items like toothbrushes and toothpaste. The Red Cross volunteer also told him how to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance to find shelter later on.

But that means he needs proof of residence.

"I lost all my paperwork," Whetzell said. "Everything." The volunteer assured him he could go to the city hall for a copy of his utility bill.

Even though the parish hall was equipped with cots for at least 50 people, no one spent the night there Sunday night. Whetzell said his family spent the night with his mother.

A shelter at St. Michael's Parish Hall in Girard also stayed empty Sunday night, according to caretaker Jim Davied.

Aaron Phillips, director of the Pioneer Chapter of the Red Cross, said many victims wanted to stay close to their homes in spite of the damage. "Right now we have shelter here," Phillips said at St. Joseph's.

"Last night we had people in and out looking for family members, not anyone willing to stay the night," he said. "That's pretty common in these situations. We're expecting an influx tonight."

St. Michael's will also be open to provide shelter tonight. Other shelters are located in Mulberry at the senior citizens' center and at the Golden Era home in Arma.

Monday morning, Red Cross shelter director Paul Fairbanks said, "Quite frankly, we're trying to get our feet on the ground." He was organizing the efforts of emergency relief vehicles (ERVs), which were delivering meals to rescue personnel and volunteers in Franklin and Mulberry.

Karen Nugent, a volunteer from Coffeyville, explained, "Right now they are processing people at the shelter trying to find hotels and motels to put them up, those who have no place to go, no relatives, trying to give them food and find the local agencies to help them with clean- up."

After Sunday's storms had passed, 10 guardsmen from the National Guard 891st Company A were deployed to help provide security in and around the Franklin and Arma area. Those guardsmen will remain on duty through Wednesday at the site.

Meals for the rescue workers and tornado victims were prepared by Janet Pommier and Jeanette Simon, cooks at Northeast High School, and delivered by the Red Cross.

Nugent and Tom Alexander, another Red Cross volunteer from Coffeyville, took their ERV to Northeast to load up more than a hundred meals for workers at the "Ground Zero" command post in Franklin.

Nugent and Alexander drove into town last night to help set up the shelter at St. Joseph's.

"What we needed the most that first night was basic information," she said. "People were coming up emotional crying, 'I can't find my grandpa' and we did not have the information because it was just to early. So we felt pretty helpless and it was pretty chaotic. What we needed was what we couldn't give them. And yet everyone responded as quickly as they could it was just a matter of timing. People were in shock and in tears and there was not much we could do but be there and offer some compassion."

She called the aid the Red Cross is receiving from Northeast schools and others "just amazing."

Northeast High School Principal John Underwood helped custodians Danny Rhodes and Ed Babcock load vats of mac and cheese casserole and green beans, packs of cookies and chips, a pan of hot dogs and buns, and cartons of milk into the rescue vehicle.

"We cooked what we thought would be easy to handle," Underwood explained. In addition, he said, the cooks served 150 breakfasts Monday morning.

The kitchens will continue serving meals to rescue workers and tornado victims today, Bualle said. "People can come get it or we'll take it out to them," he said. "We're going to have school tomorrow, but still anyone who wants meals, we'll provide them, just whatever we can do."

He said the shower facilities at the high school are also open. "We left it open all last night," he said.

Recalling the 1983 tornado which killed one Mulberry woman, Bualle said, "This is twice we've had tornadoes hit our community."

He said school was closed simply because so many students were affected by the damage to their homes, but added, "We had kids wanting to do things to help. We've even had other schools calling wanting to help. It's been unbelievable. It's something special."

John Shore, a Pittsburg resident, showed up at Northeast to drop off a load of clothing for the victims. He said he had heard a call for donations on the radio.

He wasn't the only one. The Arma Police Department asked Underwood to move buses out of the bus barn so donations of food, clothing and other supplies could be stored there.

Shore said he was in the process of moving. "I'm packing up and heard on the radio they needed clothes, so I thought I'd bring them on over."

Even though Pittsburg wasn't hit directly, he said he's still trying to locate a friend from Carl Junction.

Another volunteer was going on 30 hours of service in spite of the pain she was in, and yet another was working in spite of the loss of a good friend, killed in the tornado that struck Ringo.

Bualle echoed their feelings. "I'm worn out, but I don't know if I can rest."

Nugent said, "I think the community has come forth and we have had so many offers of what we need, from food to blankets to toys. One guy came up and offered his chainsaw and tractor. So it is amazing what the community has done to give us the tools we need to help these people."

One thing the rescue volunteers still need, she said, is sunscreen. "That's one thing we didn't think of."

Finally, the Crisis Resource Center of SEK (formerly Safehouse) is offering clothing to those in need. Staff noted that they have women's and children's clothing and some men's closing, as well as household items and some personal care items. For more information, call 1-800-794-9148 or 620-231-8251.

Staff Writer Olive Sullivan can be reached at olive.sullivan@morningsun.net, or by calling 231-2600, Ext. 134.   Back to top



Picking up the pieces
May 6, 2003
Sebelius visits area, promises quick help for victims

By JEFF WELLS
Morning Sun Staff Writer
FRANKLIN - Officials from county, state, and federal government are in the preliminary stages of offering assistance to victim's of Sunday's tornado outbreak.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius visited the wrecked unincorporated town of Franklin Monday afternoon and said the state is trying to rush federal aid, including cash payments, to the area.

The governor talked with Debi Fager-Maghe. Fager-Maghe, of Riverton, was collecting from the debris items belonging to her mother-in-law Josephine Maghe. Maghe was one of three Crawford County fatalities in Sunday's tornado.

"I'm so sorry," the governor told a weeping Fager-Maghe.

Sebelius told her state and federal agencies will provide relief.

"I was insurance commissioner before this and they should be sending someone down shortly," she said.

Sebelius conducted a news conference among the rubble that was the homes lining Broadway Street.

"This is a tragedy that will be difficult to recover from," she said. "Stuff can be put back together, but you will never recover those loved ones."

The governor arrived in Franklin via a Kansas Highway Patrol motorcade after flying over the damage and into Pittsburg's Atkinson Municipal Airport. Dick Hainje, regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, State Sen. Jim Barone, D-Frontenac, and three state representatives joined Sebelius in the trek from Topeka.

"We are here today to tell the people of Crawford and Cherokee counties how very sorry I am on behalf of all of the citizens of the state for the losses you have suffered and the lives that are lost."

Sebelius said she telephoned Michael Brown, undersecretary of FEMA, before leaving Topeka. She said he would travel to the region in the next few days.

"Expediting that help and assistance will help people get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible," she said.

The governor said the insurance department will assist residents in gathering the necessary paperwork. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will establish a temporary headquarters in the area so residents will be able to obtain copies of vital records such as birth certificates.

Seven counties in Kansas, including Cherokee and Crawford, have been declared state disaster areas and the governor said she will ask President Bush to do the same on the federal level. She said she is trying to coordinate the state's request with Missouri, also devastated by storms Sunday.

"It has more impact at the federal level when there is a multi-state effort under way," she said.

Hainje said FEMA has been in contact with state officials since the beginning of the calamity.

"We started tracking the activity right away," he said. "We work real close with state emergency management - just like they work with local emergency management. I made it clear in my discussions with the folks at headquarters in Washington D.C. that it was a very devastating situation out here."

In the midst of a trying fiscal crisis, Kansas will likely need to use state funds to match federal aid.

"We will find the money to match the federal aid and make sure that people have the help they need to recover," Sebelius said. "That is our number one priority to take care of Kansans with the budget dollars available."

Republican Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback and Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kansas, also sent letters to Bush requesting a disaster declaration.

Hainje said after the governor signs a formal request for a disaster status, the document will go to FEMA's regional office in Kansas City, and then the national office.

"What we've tried to do is work with them all day to see that those requirements will get done as quickly as possible and then get them forwarded to Washington D.C.," he said.

FEMA will then determine if it the damage is sufficient for a declaration.

"This is a very major significant event in Kansas so I'm quite sure that we are going to reach those levels, but only the president declares a disaster," Hainje said.

Hainje said it will take several days for FEMA to conduct damage assessment and up to 10 days for the declaration. Meanwhile, the local, state, and private agencies will be delivering support.

"We have already mobilized most of the forces that we can and we will continue to do that," said Rep. R.J. Wilson, D-Pittsburg.

Wilson said that the delivery of disaster relief will occur in steps - starting with providing emotional comfort.

"We are going to do everything we can," said Rep. Bob Grant, D-Cherokee. "Whatever they need, they need to give us a call and we will do our best to get it done."

Sebelius complimented the public and private agencies which rushed to help victims.

"Neighbors and friends feel themselves to be neighbors and friends whether they live across the street or 200 miles away," she said.

Later in the day, Sebelius visited a similar scene in Wyandotte County.   Back to top

 
 
County death toll remains at three
May 6, 2003
By JOE NOGA
Morning Sun Staff Writer
The Crawford County death toll from Sunday's tornado remained at three as Sheriff Sandy Horton declared that all residents in affected areas had been accounted for Monday.

"We've checked the water files. We've checked the area. We've had dogs come in from Wichita and work the area early this morning, so right now the residents have been accounted for and we have just opened it up for the residents of Franklin to come back in to the community to check their homes and gather any belongings they can find," Horton said Monday from a makeshift command post on Franklin's main street. "This is going to be a real tough time for a lot of people."

The Crawford County Sheriff's Department released the names of the three people killed in Sunday's storm.

Sharon Lashbrook, 48, lived on 200th Street approximately one mile from Ringo; George Bolte, 68, of Ringo; and Josephine Maghe, 87, of Franklin, all died as a result of the twister, which was first reported on the ground five miles north and four miles west of McCune.

Nineteen other people were hurt and taken to Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center in Pittsburg and Hospital District No. 1 of Crawford County in Girard. Two people were taken to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., and one was taken to KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Ks..

Horton said officials are now starting from where the tornado began and going back through to check every farm house and damaged structure to make sure no one else was injured during the storm.

"There is a lot of damage out there so we are still checking. But to our knowledge, we don't have anybody missing."

Crawford County Emergency Preparedness Director Eldon Bedene said officials from the state Emergency Management Agency would be going house to house in the area that was damaged to assess whether individual structures are safe and post them accordingly.

Bedene said about 95 homes in Crawford County were destroyed. It was unclear how many had been damaged. He said the main concentration of damage was in Ringo and Franklin.

Bedene said he has declared the area a disaster area.

"The county commission will sign the paper at (today's) commission meeting and I will send it to Topeka," he said. "The governor declared. But really they can do it on my say so, but I still have to send an official letter signed by the president of the commission to Topeka. But we've got to get the president to declare it a disaster."

According to the sheriff's department, the twister traveled in a northeast direction for 26 miles leaving a path of destruction in its wake until it exited Crawford County, entering Barton County, Mo.

Horton said the tornado first was spotted by deputies northwest of McCune, allowing many people time to prepare. But the fact that it stayed on the ground most of the way across the county was unexpected.

"Did it catch us off guard? I think any tornado is going to catch you off guard no matter what," Horton said. "But did it surprise us as to the length of it? Absolutely. We did not expect it to traverse the whole county. It really took us in several different directions. We had Ringo damage, we have this, we had rural farm houses damaged."

Horton said that he called everybody out that they could find Sunday from the sheriff's department and the rural township fire departments to deal with the storm. Many other area agencies volunteered services and all remained in Franklin, Ringo and other parts of the county Monday afternoon.

"We have every local agency in the county," Horton said. "Pittsburg, Frontenac, Arma has been here, plus several surrounding counties. We have had eight or nine ambulances from other counties. It has just been tremendous the amount of help we've had. The state flew some emergency preparedness people in here. So we are very happy with the response we've had. I just can't even tell you how many different agencies were represented."

The adjutant general of Kansas, Maj. Gen. Gregory B. Gardner, said the National Guard unit from Pittsburg, 891st Engineer Battalion, also lent a hand Sunday night securing the area.

"This is the beginning part so what they did (Sunday) night was security and helping wherever they could help," Gardner said. "We will continue that as long as the sheriff says he needs it. These folks belong to the 891st Engineer Battalion, so we'll probably end up shifting them from security to debris removal with all the trucks and loaders. But that still remains to be seen."

Horton said the current focus of emergency officials will be helping people get their personnel belongings and the restoration of utilities.

"We still have areas to the east of us without power," he said. "We need to get the electric set up here and get that working. Gas service is here. We've got the main gas service shut off, but we still need to shut off some of the meters that are under the debris right now. We are going to help the residents as best we can and still secure the perimeter."

Late Monday afternoon there was no one in Franklin with power and, according to Horton, there was no indication when it would be restored.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a boil water advisory for Franklin. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of water pressure in Crawford County Rural Water District No. 7 following Sunday's tornado. Low water pressure increases the possibility of back siphonage which could result in the water supply being contaminated. The advisory will remain in effect until rescinded by KDHE.

Customers of the water system are asked to boil water for one minute before use, dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker, and disinfect dishes and utensils by immersing in tap water containing one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water. Water used for bathing generally does not need to be boiled.

For more information persons may call Henry Ashbacher at (620) 249-2900.   Back to top

Power company employees working to restore power
May 6, 2003


By The Morning Sun Staff
As the sun came up Monday, the lights came back on for some Crawford County residents who lost power after Sunday's tornados.
Westar Energy said more than 200 of its employees were working to restore power in southeast Kansas Monday evening. The company said 66 transformers in southeast Kansas were damaged, along with 656 primary lines and 234 poles.

As of Monday afternoon, Westar said 16 transformers had been replaced and 65 primary lines and 56 poles had been repaired.

Westar said about 180 customers in an area stretching from Ringo to Franklin remained without power Monday evening because the tornado destroyed a substation in Mulberry Sunday evening.

That substation also served the city of Mulberry, which provides service to its residents through its own distribution system. Westar said it will construct a temporary substation until the permanent substation can be repaired.

"Our crews will continue to work around the clock until we can get the equipment fixed and restore power to our customers, including the city of Mulberry," said Don Hill, Westar operations director. "We've brought in crews from Westar Energy divisions throughout the state."

Westar said that 16,000 of its customers lost power during the storms in both southeast and northeast Kansas.

Girard City Administrator Mike West said Westar Energy's transmission lines to the city were repaired early Monday morning. The city returned to Westar power at 8:30 a.m. The city operated its own generators overnight to keep power after a Sunday afternoon tornado barely missed the county seat. West said there was no significant damage in the city of almost 3,000.

Mike Willis with Westar said all of the company's southeast Kansas crews, 12 outside crews, and 10 contract crews were in the area.

"We are in the process of cleaning up the downed lines until the poles we've ordered get in and we can set them," Willis said.   Back to top

Josephine Maghe
May 7, 2003

FRANKLIN - Josephine Maghe, 87, of Franklin, died Sunday, May 4, 2003, at Franklin.
She was born Nov. 15, 1915, in Dade County, Mo., to Amos and Daisy Alexander Rhodes, and grew up in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas. She was a homemaker who lived in Franklin most of her life.

Mrs. Maghe worked for Stanley Products, the Crawford County Treasurer's Office and later for the U.S. Census Bureau. She was a member of the Arma United Methodist Church, Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center Auxiliary and the Arma Eagles Auxiliary.

She was a former Democrat Precinct committeewoman and a former member of the Franklin Water Board.

She married Joe Maghe on Oct. 26, 1935, at Lamar, Mo. He preceded her in death July 8, 2002.

Survivors include one daughter, Jo Anne Swezey, of Franklin; one son, Joseph Maghe, of Riverton; one brother, William Rhodes, of St. John; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

She also was preceded in death by two sisters, Arelva Cernes and Dolly Rhodes, and five brothers, Floyd Rhodes, John Rhodes, Alfred Rhodes, Herbert Rhodes and Vern "Tuffy" Rhodes.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. today at Bedene Funeral Home, Arma, with the Rev. Steve Cole officiating. Burial will be in Pittsburg Garden of Memories Cemetery. The casket will remain closed. Arrangements are under the direction of the Bedene Funeral Home, Arma.   Back to top


Bush issues disaster declaration
May 7, 2003

By The Morning Sun Staff
President Bush on Tuesday issued federal disaster declarations for seven counties in Kansas and 39 in Missouri, an action that allows federal emergency assistance to flow to the affected areas.
Two Federal Emergency Management Agency inspectors from Kansas City were working in Franklin Tuesday, but Director Mike Brown did not visit the devastated southeast Kansas community.

Brown visited victims in Kansas City, Ks. ., Pierce City, Mo. and Tennessee.

"He reluctantly can't visit southeast Kansas because of time constraints," said Crystal Payton, a public information officer.

Qualifying residents and business owners in the following Kansas counties are eligible for federal aid: Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Leavenworth, Miami, Neosho and Wyandotte.

Among the potential benefits of the federal aid:

* rental payments for temporary housing for victims whose homes are not livable

* grants for home repairs and essential household items that were damaged

* grants to defray costs of certain medical, dental, funeral and transportation needs

* unemployment payments for individuals who temporarily lost jobs

* loans for small businesses and farmers

* crisis and legal counseling

* assistance to the state and local governments for debris clean-up and hazard prevention projects

Affected residents and business owners can get more information starting Wednesday by calling 800-621-FEMA or 800-462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.   Back to top

As shock subsides, cleanup efforts begin
May 7, 2003
By JOE NOGA
Morning Sun Staff Writer
FRANKLIN - Sadie Pichler was one of the lucky ones.

Pichler, who is listed in good condition at Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center, reluctantly went to her basement just before the tornado that ripped through the county Sunday destroyed her home.

"They found her down in the basement. Part of the house fell on her," said her son, Frank Pichler, from the house that used to stand at 505 Lasota in Franklin.

"She is getting transferred out of the ICU today to a regular room," Pichler said of his mother, now 85.

Frank Pichler, who was raised in the house but now lives in Bartlesville, Okla., said that his mother was against the west wall of the basement when the house collapsed on top of her.

Pichler said that, even though his mother had lived in the house these 61 years, he doesn't think she will rebuild in Franklin.

He was there with other families member sifting through the debris looking for anything of value.

"We were in here yesterday and we picked up mementos all over the place," he said. "My dad died died about five years ago and my mom has stuff of his here if we can find it. But I don't know if we can find it. There are a lot of memories here."

Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said that he believes cleanup efforts are going well.

"Our goal is to open the road ways early today. Any of the residents who wanted back in are in with volunteer help and they are doing a good job, " Horton said from the county's mobile command center, which was set up in Franklin.

At 4:22 p.m. on Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Crawford. Officials in Labette County notified the Crawford County sheriff's department of a funnel cloud in their county heading towards Crawford County.

Crawford County sheriff's deputies reported a tornado on the ground five miles north and four miles west of McCune. The tornado traveled in a northeast direction for 26 miles until it exited Crawford County.

In the storm's wake, 19 people were taken to area hospitals and three Crawford County residents were dead. Nearly 100 homes were destroyed, several livestock killed, crops destroyed, a radio tower fell, power lines were down and at least 19 railroad cars derailed near Mulberry.

"A lot of plans are being made and a lot of work is being done," Horton said of clean up efforts. "The county is working on a dumpsite near Franklin. Some of the debris will need to be buried, any of the wood products that can be burned we'll need to get burn permits. But we do have a dump site location and we are trying to prepare that site today."

Horton said he was not sure when the mobile command center would be taken out of Franklin or when official activity near Ringo will dissipate. But he did say that he will begin scaling down security in both areas once he is confident that the residents have retrieved everything they could from their homes.

"We're hoping to scale down the security crew today and open the roads," Horton said. "We will be determining on a day-by-day basis how long we will be on site and patrolling."

According to Horton, who will be cleaning up debris is yet to be determined.

"We need to see whether this is declared a disaster or not. If it is then we will be looking not only at the county but also the National Guard and that type of help. But it is too early to say that.   Back to top


Workers close to returning power to storm victims
May 7, 2003
By JACK DIAMOND
Morning Sun Staff Writer
A second wave of storms dodged Crawford County on Tuesday, allowing workers to make huge strides in restoring electricity to damaged areas. Westar Energy officials said they expected power to be restored to almost all locations by this morning.

"Assuming that something doesn't go on, we expect to have that one before daylight tomorrow," Westar operations director Don Hill said. "Š Come tomorrow morning, if we have 20 customers left (without power) I'm going to be surprised."

Power was restored in Franklin to all but six houses Tuesday evening, Hill said, and had been restored to the Ringo, Radley and McCune areas by Tuesday afternoon, although some homes were damaged and unable to receive electric service.

Hill said the new Mulberry substation was expected to become operational early Wednesday morning and that the city of Mulberry had its distribution system repaired and ready for power.

Beyond that, Hill said all that was needed to restore power to Mulberry was repairing a few miles of lines between the new substation and the city.

Progress apparently was made rapidly on Tuesday. Late in the morning, Westar said it still needed to repair 127 poles, 50 transformers, and 591 primary lines. It already had repaired 107 poles, 16 transformers, and 65 primary lines. The big fear was more storms, which hit Bourbon and Cherokee counties but missed Crawford.

"The ground is wet and muddy, but it isn't unbearable yet," Westar spokesman Kent Myers said Tuesday morning. "If we get much more rain, it's really going to slow us down quite a bit."

Myers said the new temporary substation is functionally the same as a permanent one, but it will be built on a rock base and wood poles rather than a concrete base and metal poles.

"It's still reliable but it's not meant to stand for 20 or 30 years," he said. Points in Franklin had been served by the Mulberry substation, but power was back-fed through another substation before the new substation was online.

On the natural gas front, about 86 Kansas Gas Service customers in Franklin were without service Tuesday afternoon, according to Joe Sinnett, KGS community relations manager.

"The gas probably will not be able to be back on there until the end of this week or possibly the first of next week," Sinnett said. "We have to go through, abandon those services that the houses have been destroyed on, and then make sure the system is up to standards there before we can Š energize the line."

Sinnett said there were three KGS crews in Franklin working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shifts.

The state's order to boil water in Crawford County Rural Water District No. 7, serving the Franklin area, remained in effect Tuesday.

"It's nothing to be completely alarmed about. It's standard procedures by KDHE," said Henry Ashbacher of the water district. He said four water samples - two on each side of the damaged area - were taken on Monday and sent to a lab in Topeka. Results are expected today.

Ashbacher said all customers have water available, but some lines are being disconnected in the damaged area before bulldozers begin to clear the debris.

"I have not been notified of anybody without service," he said.

Chuck Kunshek of Crawford County Rural Water District No. 2, which serves Ringo, said that water had been shut off at damaged properties but the rest of the district was still being served. No boil orders were in effect for that district.

Westar and KGS customers can report outages by calling (800) 544-4857. Gas leak emergencies can be reported by calling KGS at (888) 482-4950. Before digging, people should call Kansas One Call at (800) 344-7233 so that lines can be located.

Telephone company SBC Communication said it is offering 30 days of free call-forwarding and voice mail services to residents who were forced from their homes by the storms. It also said it would install new SBC local service at their new locations for free.

Customers who have evacuated their homes can sign up for the services by calling (800) 464-7928.

Staff Writer Jack Dimond can be reached at jack.dimond@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 138.   Back to top

Assessing the damage
May 7, 2003
Official says Franklin likely was devastated by F4 tornado

By JEFF WELLS
Morning Sun Staff Writer
FRANKLIN - A veteran weather observer said the tornado that struck Franklin Sunday afternoon was one of the strongest he has seen in almost 30 years with the National Weather Service.

Bill Davis of the service's Springfield, Mo. office said that the winds which flattened a large part of Franklin were more than 200 mph.

Davis and a colleague surveyed affected areas of Crawford County Tuesday morning. Among the debris, they found evidence of the storm's fury. The pair gave special attention to the aspects of the damage that others ignore. They photographed the foundations of homes which were lifted into the air, examined the trunks of trees stripped of bark, and measured the distance vehicles were thrown.

"A lot of these houses are what we call sliders so it is hard to tell because they were not battened down very well," he said. "A wind speed over 100 mph would take those off their foundation; but, there is a lot of other evidence here for 200 mph winds."

Davis said he would assign the tornado's classification on the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity after an aerial survey; however, he said it was worse than the "very severe F3" tornado which hit Pierce City, Mo. Davis said the tornado which hit Badger and Carl Junction, Mo. was an F2.

On the Fujita Scale, an F4 is described as a "devastating tornado" with winds of 207 to 260. Well-constructed houses are leveled by an F4; structures with weak foundations are blown off some distance. It throws cars and turns other large objects into missiles.

Davis said contrary to popular belief the level of official disaster assistance is not tied to tornado's F rating.

"I think people think that it is tied to that, but it isn't," he said. "You can get the same aid with an F0 tornado or strong straight-line winds as you can an F5 tornado. There is nothing, as far as aid, tied to it."

Davis said Sunday's tornado was a quarter of a mile wide and left a 26-mile path across Crawford County from where the tornado first touched down northwest of McCune to where it crossed the Missouri border near Mulberry. The storm killed three in Crawford County and destroyed 95 homes. It claimed another victim just across the state line in Barton County, Mo.

"The same storm that spawned this continued up to the Stockton, Mo., area and then up into the Camdenton, Mo., area,"

In Stockton, the storm killed three more persons and ripped into the business district. Later Sunday evening, it passed south of Camdenton killing three and destroying several homes along Missouri Highway 5.

The storms were fueled by three very strong super cells. Davis, who has been with the NWS since 1974, said they were among the worst of his career.

"It looks like a battlefield - it is a cliché - but it looks like a battlefield," Davis said while viewing the damage.

Staff Writer Jeff Wells can be reached at jeff.wells@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 137.   Back to top

Praeger offers reassurance to victims
May 7, 2003

By JEFF WELLS
Morning Sun Staff Writer
FRANKLIN - Victims of Sunday's tornado outbreak may face higher insurance premiums or the loss of coverage after they rebuild.

Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger met with tornado victims in Franklin Tuesday morning before the threat of more storms forced her to cut her southeast Kansas visit short. She said that the residents' biggest concern is increased rates or the inability to gain coverage in the future.

"They feel so helpless because they had nothing to do with this," she said. "This is not anything that they had any control over and we just need to give them reassurances. I want them to know that the Kansas Insurance Department is going to do everything we can do to make sure they are made whole again, as much as they can be."

"That is a scare - that we will all have higher rates and the loss of companies out of the area," said Rob Lessen of Fox Insurance Agency.

Praeger said her role is to make sure the insurance companies deliver.

"I'm not anticipating any problems. The response has been very positive," she said.

Tim Thielen, a State Farm claims representative from Hutchinson, said his company visited its policy holders with damage within 48 hours of the tornado.

Sharon Scholes was among the customers Thielen visited Tuesday. Scholes' mother, Irene Sipes, was inside her home when the winds ripped off a section of the roof and sent debris flying inside. She survived, but her house at 803 S. Broadway may be beyond repair. Scholes said she was happy with State Farm's response. Thielen visited the home several times starting Monday, she said.

State Farm had approximately 200 claims in the area with 18 homes destroyed, Thielen said. He said he wrote some checks Tuesday for policy limits on homes which were totally lost.

Dale Endress, 501 S. LaSota St., called his agent Monday morning, but had not heard from anyone as of noon Tuesday. Endress' two-bedroom home was destroyed, but he was not home when the storm hit.

Gayle Hribar worked Tuesday in the rubble of the home owned by her mother, Alice Baldwin, at 601 S. Broadway. Baldwin carried insurance on the property and had talked with the insurer, but Hribar was concerned that her mother may not have enough coverage to cover the loss.

"Our goal is to see that the companies respond quickly so that people begin the healing process," Praeger said.

With chainsaws blaring in the background, Praeger said in an interview that the companies seemed to be responding and were sending in additional adjusters.

"I think that the companies are coming together," she said. "I think they realize this was a big storm."

Praeger planned to meet with the presidents of the state's five largest insurers Tuesday afternoon.

"We will also talk to companies about the importance of not letting something like this count against a person and their homeowners insurance," Praeger said.

Lessen, who had several customers lose homes in the disaster, said people should work their agents and call the commissioner if they have any questions.

"We will do everything in on power to make sure that people get what they need quickly," Praeger said.

In a press release Monday, Praeger offered victims the following tips:

* Contact your insurance company immediately to report losses.

* If you have difficulty in reaching your insurance agent or company, call the Kansas Insurance Department's Consumer Hotline (1-800-432-2484) for assistance.

* Take notes summarizing your conversation with your insurance company and write down the name of the person with whom you spoke.

* Take photographs showing damaged property.

* Make temporary or emergency repairs only as needed to protect your property from further damage - including boarding up broken windows, placing plastic over the roof where it is leaking and drying out wet carpets and furniture. Get instructions from your adjuster BEFORE calling anyone to repair or replace damaged property. Your insurer's visual inspection of your loss may be required before claims are paid.

* If you must move out of your home, keep your receipts of hotel bills and meals. Your policy may reimburse these additional living expenses.

* Beware of questionable contractors who arrive in town to cash in on damage repair. Check references and deal with local businesses, if possible. Consult the Better Business Bureau before using out-of-town contractors.

Staff Writer Jeff Wells can be reached at jeff.wells@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 137.   Back to top

Kline warns victims of potential scams
May 7, 2003
By JOE NOGA
Morning Sun Staff Writer
Kansas Attorney General Phil Kline was in Franklin Tuesday surveying the damage, encouraging local residents and offering advise for dealing with con artists, people who following tragedy looking for opportunities to exploit.

"It's unbelievable," Kline said of the damage in Franklin. "It's hard to take it all in. I can't imagine stand there seeing my life spread out in that fashion before me. It's amazing that there wasn't more loss of life. Our prayers and thoughts are with those who are suffering."

But Kline's visit was more than just offering condolences. He was here to coordinate the efforts of local law enforcement and the attorney general's office to combat unscrupulous con artists who often approach disaster victims in an effort to take advantage of those who have already suffered injuries and property damage.

"Our roll is primarily is to inform the citizens," Kline said Tuesday. "There are those who watch these things from afar and use people's vulnerability to exploit for their own benefit."

The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's office works with local law enforcement in the aftermath of disastrous events.

"A multi-disciplinary Consumer Protection Emergency Response Team (CPERT) makes contact with law enforcement and media in areas affected by disaster within hours of the event. This team serves as the conduit between harmed Kansans, local law enforcement, and my office, to ensure that those affected are not then re-victimized during the clean up and rebuilding phase," Kline said.

The information released by the attorney general's office is designed to provide an overview of scams that have been documented in the wake of natural or manmade disasters.

"We are providing materials to be distributed. We are asking local law enforcement to keep us informed if they see and of that so we can act but also so we can communicate that to Wyandotte County, because these people tend to migrate where the problems are and we just need to keep an eye on them," Kline said.

Kline said that it is understandable that local homeowners will be anxious to have repairs done to homes damaged by the storm. Media coverage of storms often results in con artists moving into an area to make a quick profit.

Kline suggests homeowners remember the following:

* Only deal with contractors who have an established local business. Outside contractors may not complete the work and any warranties will be worthless if they are no longer in the area when the homeowner or business owner later discovers defects.

* Obtain at least three bids on any major repair or rebuilding project and check references to avoid a contractor who does substandard work. Be especially cautious if one of the bids is much lower than the others.

* Check to see if the contractor has a complaint history with: The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, 1-800-432-2310 or (785) 296-3751; BBB of Greater Kansas City (816) 421-7800; BBB of Northeast Kansas (785) 232-0454; or the Wichita Area Better Business Bureau, (316) 263-3146.

* Ask for proof of the contractor's liability and worker's compensation insurance to help protect you as a property owner against any claim in the event someone is injured while the work is being done on your property, and confirm that the policies are current by calling their insurance agent.

* Make certain that all important details concerning the work are written into the bid and contract including: The dates the work will begin and is expected to be completed, the total cost of the work, the type and quality of materials to be used, how and when payments will be made, and the provisions of any and all express warranties on the materials and labor.

* Find out from the appropriate building code enforcement office which permits and inspections are required for the work being done, and avoid a contractor who wants you to secure the permit(s).

Staff Writer Joe Noga can be reached at joe.noga@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 132.   Back to top

The long road ahead
May 7, 2003
As one local official put it, there is a lot to do. In the wake of Sunday's deadly storms and tornados, many of our friends and neighbors have lost their property, their homes and, tragically, a few have lost their lives.
Now that the storms have passed, the process of cleaning up - and healing - begins. And, help is needed.

Anytime a tragedy such as this occurs, a number of agencies and organizations jump into action to help the stricken. After Sunday's storms, these organizations reacted quickly, setting up shelters and helping those who lost all to regain their lives.

Both the American Red Cross and the Pittsburg Salvation Army unit are working hard right now to help, but they need supplies and they need volunteers.

Staff with the Red Cross, speaking Tuesday from the organization's shelter at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Arma, noted that they need items such as rakes, shovels, gloves, face masks and lots of cleaning supplies as they help with cleanup efforts. Additionally, the Red Cross continues to need items such as sunscreen, but say they have more than enough clothing at this time.

Red Cross officials note that the Seventh Day Adventists Church has established a distribution center at Northeast High School, 1003 E. South St., in Arma, and shelter organizers are asking that all donations now go to the high school.

Meanwhile, staff at the Salvation Army are in great need of bottled water, snacks and meals which are easy to prepare, fruit and, again, sunblock, which is important for workers laboring in the hot sun. Salvation Army officials say they also need work gloves, shovels and rakes, but note that they also have lots of clothing.

Those wishing to donate to the Salvation Army can drop off items at the organization's warehouse at 717 N. Broadway.

Still another need that must always be addressed after any disaster is volunteers.

Staff at the Red Cross believe they will be working on relief efforts for at least six weeks and, although they anticipate they will need volunteers to help with clean-up after effected areas are completely opened, they add that right now they need help from those who know the affected areas, including streets, neighborhoods and people, to go with volunteers and complete damage assessments.

They add that volunteers should go to the disaster command center at Seventh and Broadway in Franklin and find out what needs to be done.

Salvation Army officials, on the other hand, say they need volunteers to help cook and deliver meals to storm victims. Those interested in volunteering can go to the Salvation Army's Pittsburg office at 307 E. Fifth St. at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., which is when their staff begins preparing meals each day.

Moreover, warehouse support volunteers are needed to help categorize items to be given to storm victims.

Finally, donations are always badly needed. Providing services to the victims of Sunday's storms will undoubtedly come at a staggering price for organizations which are already stretched thin.

The Pittsburg Area Community Foundation has established a Crawford County Relief Fund to help those effected by the storms. Funds donated to the foundation will be disbursed though the local American Red Cross and other agencies.

For more information on donating to the foundation fund, call 620-231-8897. Donations are tax deductible and may be sent to: The Pittsburg Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1115, 117 W. Fourth St., Pittsburg, KS 66762-1115.

To give to Red Cross efforts, donations should be made out to the Pioneer Chapter of the American Red Cross and sent to: The American Red Cross, 128 W. Eighth St., Coffeyville, KS 67337. Donations to the Salvation Army should be made payable to the Salvation Army, earmarked for Crawford County relief efforts, and can be dropped off on the west side of the parking lot at the Salvation Army Thrift Store at the intersection of Fifth and Joplin streets in Pittsburg.

Lastly, University National Bank, in partnership with the Salvation Army, has set up an account for victims of the tornado. Cash donations will be accepted by mail or may be hand delivered to the bank at 1206 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762. Checks should be made payable to: Disaster Relief Fund, care of University National Bank, P.O. Box 1418, Pittsburg, KS 66762-1418. Call 231-4200 or 231-0415 for more information.

Work has begun to help those who were left helpless by the recent storms, but we have a long road ahead. We urge local residents to help wherever they can and to give of their talents to help our community heal after this dreadful disaster.     Back to top

Residents ponder Franklin's future
May 8, 2003
Community center, post office were town's centerpieces

By JEFF WELLS
Morning Sun Staff Writer
FRANKLIN - Sunday morning the unincorporated town of Franklin consisted of 155 homes, a civic center, and a post office. That evening, a devastating tornado destroyed dozens of homes, the post office and the civic center.

"These were really the things that would bind the community," said Shelley Phillips Corley.

In the weeks before the storm, town pride was emerging after lying dormant for years. New faces were interested in maintaining and improving the center, a community newsletter was published, and the state announced a surprise grant for the water district. But, Sunday night the whispers began. Would Franklin recover from losing the two buildings which tied the neighbors together?

Kathy Shaffer, postmaster for almost five years, hiked through a field of debris Sunday night to find the block and brick building reduced to a small mound of twisted stone and metal.

"It sure didn't look like a large enough pile to be the whole post office," Shaffer said.

The Franklin Post Office first opened in the late 19th century and had been in its present building for 40 years. There were 90 post office boxes and 120 rural route customers served by Shaffer. Now the Franklin mail is going to Arma. Rural delivery is still going to those residences with intact mailboxes. The other Franklin customers may pick up their mail in the neighboring town while using their regular address on outgoing posts.

A postal inspector from Kansas City came to Franklin Wednesday, but Shaffer said it was to soon to determine if the USPS would rebuild there.

Jim Allen, field representative for Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan., said he discussed the issue with the Congressman's Washington, D.C., staff and post office officials. He declined to give further details, but said more information may be available when Ryun visits Franklin next Monday.

Meanwhile, Shaffer endeavors to make sure that the mail goes through - even those letters that had to be removed from the leveled building. Fortunately, she said, there was mail service on Saturday and all rural route mail went out.

"So what was left in the post office was what people didn't pick up," Shaffer said.

Social Security checks arrived in Franklin on Friday, but only one remained in the post office when it was blown away. Norine Laird came to the rubble Wednesday afternoon looking for her benefit check, but Shaffer handed her only a rain-soaked magazine and an undamaged bill.

Laird, a 72-year resident of Franklin, bemoaned the loss of the post office.

"That is about the only thing we had left in this town besides the community hall and it is gone as well," she said.

Veda Maxwell, another longtime resident, said there are only three things notable about the community: the world's longest intercity sidewalk stretching to Arma, the post office, and the Franklin Community Civic Center.

With no schools or churches in the community, the center served as Franklin's voting precinct and a meeting place for local government and community organizations. Margaret Kennedy remembered attending a World War II victory party at the center. Other residents recalled thousands of birthday parties, wedding and anniversary showers and receptions, graduation celebrations, and holiday events.

When someone in the community died, Josephine Maghe called Shaffer and asked her to display a notice in the post office. Shaffer would collect money for the deceased's family and then use the funds for flowers or a meal at the center. Maghe, 87, died in the twister.

Phillips Corley, president of the center board, spent Tuesday afternoon salvaging folding chairs from the destroyed building.

The board has some savings and insurance, but she wasn't sure if that would be enough to replace the center.

"If we can't rebuild it - I'd like to see a nice storm shelter for the community," she said.

John Houck, secretary and treasurer of the center's board, said he recovered some New Year's decorations and a fire extinguisher. He also found some paper plates and plastic cutlery still wrapped and gave them to the Red Cross.

Last month, a new board including Phillips Corley and Houck assumed operation of the center. They installed a new sink, range, siding, and outdoor sign. Now all that remains is the foundation and hardwood floor.

Two weeks ago, the Kansas Department of Commerce & Housing unexpectedly awarded $350,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money to improve Crawford County Rural Water District No. 7 - which serves Franklin. The water district sent the first edition of a community newsletter with last month's bill.

Houck believes the community will not perish, but recovery will fuel its pride. He said some residents planned to talk with county officials about getting a storm warning siren and even incorporating.

"There are so many outsiders living here that it has been hard to get volunteers, but I think this will bring the community together," he said.

Staff Writer Jeff Wells can be reached at jeff.wells@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 137.   Back to top

Agencies attempting to reduce health risks of cleanup efforts
May 8,2003
By JOE NOGA
Morning Sun Staff Writer
Environmental health risks that occur after a tornado can be great. But, emergency personnel are doing their best to stay on top of the situation.

Officials face health issues on several fronts following Sunday's devastating tornado, not the least of which is the Kansas Department of Health and Environment continued order to boil water in the Crawford County Rural Water District No. 7, Franklin. Officials are also dealing with tetanus, dead animals and an enormous amount of building material, some hazardous, as cleanup efforts continue.

"Primarily, prevention is what we are here to do," said Janice Goedeke from the Crawford County Health Department.

Goedeke, along with more than a dozen other volunteers from health departments across southeast Kansas, were out at the beginning of the week administering more than 200 tetanus booster shots to everyone working around debris.

"Any wound that someone gets here can be dangerous," Goedeke said. "The bacteria level is high and we are certainly going to get into infections. Wounds requiring further medical care are being referred to personnel health care professionals."

Goedeke said there is a high demand for tetanus boosters and workers have had to go out on foot and administer shots to each individual house.

"The government has given us money to combat bio-terrorism but it's not only for bio-terrorism but for other disasters as well," she said. "I have staff that I can pull in from other health departments, so we are going to have 14 going out to give tetanus boosters."

Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said he is dealing with a different set of issues, such as how to properly dispose of bloating animal carcasses and building material that might pose health threats to the community at large if not disposed of properly.

"We have permission from the KDHE, to deal with dead animals on a case-by-case basis," Horton said. "We are required to bury dead animals. The county has sent equipment out, at the request of property owners, to dig holes and bury livestock that has been deceased. That's all you can do."

Horton suggests that if people don't know what to do with their dead, decomposing animals they need to call the sheriff's department.

"We'll have the county engineer people get in touch with them and take care of it immediately," he said.

Another issue Horton faces is the burning and dumping of housing material cleaned up after Sunday's deadly twister.

"The county has set up and been licensed to operate a construction and demolition landfill, which is located just west of Franklin," Horton said. "The county also has a burn permit. KDHE has been on scene for several days and basically people are not supposed to burn. All those items are supposed to be brought to this location and either burned or buried."

Horton said a burn permit is required by the State of Kansas for all material. Residents are to secure a burn permit from the state by calling Victoria S. O'Brien, from the KDHE, at 1-620-431-2390.

Horton said the people from KDHE are present and driving around looking for areas of smoke.

Horton said they called the command center twice Tuesday reporting possible unauthorized burning.

"What we don't want is people burning shingles, asbestos insulation, things like that," Horton said. "That stuff needs to be buried. But, it all needs to get to the road and either the county or the National Guard will pick it up and bring it here to the burn pile or the landfill under the license and supervision of the county or the guard."

According to Horton, the Kansas Department of Transportation is going to put up flashing signs that indicate a burning zone in Franklin and to indicate to drivers to beware of the possibility of smoke on the highway.

Staff Writer Joe Noga can be reached at joe.noga@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 132.   Back to top

Cleanup efforts progressing in Crawford County
May 8, 2003
By JOE NOGA
Morning Sun Staff Writer
Access to Franklin remains limited as scores of volunteers line up to help victims of Sunday's deadly tornado clean up debris and move it to the street.

"We are still going to have this area closed," Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said Wednesday. "There will be no normal traffic pattern through here for quite some time."

Horton said he has kept the three roads that connect Franklin to U.S. Highway 69 closed by barricade and taped off.

"We are certainly asking no one to go through those. The access point to this area will be from the north end on Alternate 69 which will be manned every day for I don't know how long," Horton said. "If people want to come in to help friends, that's fine, but we need to verify they are here to help friends and who those friends are."

Horton said emergency officials will be working at contacting everybody and asking them where they are on cleanup efforts and if they need more help.

Horton said that many organizations, including three large church groups, have volunteered to help with cleanup efforts.

The main goal, he said, will be separating material and getting debris to the side of the road.

"We are going to instruct homeowners and volunteers that wood must be piled separate from other material and that this all needs to be placed near the road, not in the road," Horton said.

Horton said cleanup in Ringo is going well.

"They have done an enormous amount of cleanup in Ringo and here in Franklin too, really," Horton said. "But we've got trees that are eight-foot around and there is no way to move them without equipment."

Horton said the reason people need to move material to the roadside is because county employees and/or National Guardsmen who are going to assist in cleanup efforts are not allowed on private property.

"We need to keep the cleanup process going because if we are authorized to use the National Guard for cleanup, when they pull in here they're going to be working. We've requested two loaders and 10 dump trucks, but they cannot go on private property. So everything on private property needs to be moved to the easement to be removed. And that is going to be a headache," Horton said.

Horton said that he understands there are things that will not be able to be moved by hand. He said he would talk to the county to see if there are things emergency workers can do to help with those items.

"But we still can't go on private property. So one thing we need to ask the people, if you are a resident here, please come to the command post, we will need information from you about what help you are going to need," he said. "Right now, it's almost a shame because there is so much work to be done and so many people who want to help but they can't because we are still talking about people's private property. We don't want to get to the point where we are just moving things and homeowners are unaware of what we are doing. A lot of people are going to want to be there."

Staff Writer Joe Noga can be reached at joe.noga@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 132.   Back to top


Boil order lifted for residents with undamaged water service
May 9, 2003
FRANKLIN - Franklin-area residents with undamaged water service lines are no longer being advised to boil water, the Kansas Department of Health & Environment said.
Greg Taylor, KDHE environmental scientist, announced the change, along with some conditions, in a fax to Henry Ashbacher of Crawford County Rural Water District No. 2.

Taylor said, "Water service to properties with damaged service lines will not be allowed to resume until substantial residential property cleanup is complete and damaged service lines are located, repaired, flushed, pressure tested, and demonstrate the ability to maintain a chlorine residual for at least 24 hours."

He also said that abandoned service lines must be sealed or removed to reduce the chance of contamination.   Back to top

Crawford County, agencies set up disaster hotlines
May 9, 2003
By JOE NOGA
Morning Sun Staff Writer
In an effort to organized relief and volunteer help, the Crawford County Sheriff's Department and the American Red Cross have set up disaster hotlines for those in need.

"If you need assistance removing debris from your property, we have a list of volunteers that are willing to help. But, your permission is required for them to work on your property," said Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton.

Please call the sheriff's department on a designated phone line at 1-620-724-6601.

Horton also said a burn permit is no longer required by the State of Kansas to burn brush and wood. He said there are temporary tree, brush and wood burn sites.

The Ringo burn site is located at 201 S. 190th St and the Franklin burn site is located at 501 S. Vine St.

Horton said, although he has not heard officially that the National Guard will be made available to help remove debris, he is anticipating that happening.

The American Red Cross also has a disaster hotline and according to Joanne Wittner, disaster director for the Pioneer Chapter of the Red Cross in Coffeyville, they are taking calls from anyone effected by Sunday's tornados.

"What we are doing is taking the calls for people in the service center in Arma and we are referring people to where they can get help. If we get people from Missouri that call in then we are referring them to the Joplin chapter of the Red Cross," Wittner said.

Things are kind of hectic. We are trying to get food and drinks into the damaged area around Franklin and down in Cherokee County. It's just so wide spread there are a lot of places to go. We will stay in there as long as needed."

The number to call for assistance from the Red Cross is 1-888-460-1050.

Other phone numbers include:

Kansas Gas Service for gas leak emergencies - 1-888-482-4950

Westar Energy to report power outages - 1-800-544-4857

Kansas One Call for digging 1-800-344-7233

Red Cross Assistance - 1-888-460-1050

FEMA - 1-800-621-3362

Red Cross - 1-888-460-1050.

Staff Writer Joe Noga can be reached at joe.noga@morningsun.net or at 231-2600, Ext. 132.   Back to top

Pets also tornado victims
May 9, 2003
By NIKKI PATRICK
Morning Sun Family Living Editor
Not all the victims of Sunday's tornado are human. Pets were also injured and left homeless, and the Southeast Kansas Humane Society has been working to help them.

"The tornado hit Sunday night, and I got called out of bed at 1:30 a.m. Monday," said Pat Wininger, Humane Society shelter employee. "My daughter Becky and I went 40 hours without sleep trying to rescue animals."

"Some people are really hurting and really desperate," added Mary Kay Caldwell, Humane Society president. "People's pets become part of their family, and they're very concerned about them. A friend of mine finally found her cat, who was over 20 years old and diabetic, and she just sat and cried. Another cat was claimed at the shelter by its owner, and she was just ecstatic. These happy stories mean so much to us."

Because of the magnitude of the disaster, American Humane activated its Red Star Emergency Services and sent two trained national responders to the area to assist the Humane Society.

"The Southeast Kansas Humane Society is completely overwhelmed with trying to care for animals that are lost, injured or homeless as a result of the tornadoes," said Jodi Buckman, American Humane director of shelter services. "They are beyond their capacity and so American Humane is providing our rescue expertise to assist them in any way we can."

"We're very grateful for American Humane's help," Caldwell said. "The national responders have been helping in our search and rescue operations. They've also suggested that we put up a lost and found board at the shelter, and we're doing that. We're also going to run found ads in the newspaper."

American Humane will also help the society establish temporary shelter for animals left homeless, and has been working with PETsMART Charities to coordinate the contribution of large airline crates to assist with moving and holding animals.

Right now the Humane Society has about 20 dogs that have been rescued from tornado debris.

"At one place in Franklin we rescued a little dog who was sitting in a boat on top of a big pile of debris," Wininger said. "He looked so cute sitting there."

Only five cats have been picked up so far, and Caldwell said that traps will be set to catch some of the panicked animals.

"Cats are much harder to get than dogs," Wininger said. "Dogs may back off from you or growl a little, but you can talk to a lot of them and kind of coax them. The cats run off and hide in tiny little places where you can't reach them. But their eyes shine out at you at night, and that will help us know where to put the traps."

Some pets have already been claimed by owners, but some of the owners don't have a home left to take the pets to. "We may need to look at having some foster homes for them," Caldwell said.

She and Wininger said they were deeply grateful for donations of food for the animals. The Triple T Dog Food Company and Natural Live have donated food, and the Pittsburg Police Department has provided five 40-pound bags of dry dog food.

"Tornado victims who need food for their pets can come out to the Humane Society and pick up food," Wininger said. "If they can't come out to get it, we can deliver it to them."

She said that many pets injured in the storm have been taken for medical treatment.

"Some of them belong to people who've lost their homes, their cars, everything," Wininger said. "They can't pay for the vet, so we've set up a 'Save the Animals' fund to pay their expenses."

Donations to the fund may be mailed to the Southeast Kansas Humane S