Eleven Die In U.S. Tornadoes
ift Z Press Association—Copyright> NEW YORK, May 8.
At least 11 people lay dead today after tornadoes and flash floods had roared through America’s southern states, United Press Internationa! reported.
Five persons were killed yesterday when a 15ft wall of flood water struck the Arkansas town of Harrison, leaving most of the 5500 residents homeless. Martial law was declared and national guardsmen sent into patrol.
At the height of the flash flood the buildings in the main business area were completely submerged. Damage was estimated at millions of dollars. Accidents caused by high winds and flooding took the lives of six others in various parts of Arkansas and Missouri
Tornadoes which swept from Stamford. Texas, to Madisonville. Kentucky, yesterday injured at least 36 persons. This brought the total number of injured for the week-end to about 100 In Oklahoma two more persons died from injuries inflicted on Friday when “twisters” struck the small communities of Howe and Reiehart, killing 13 persons. Yesterday’s tornadoes wrecked scores of homes, tore
down telephone wires, killed livestock, and damaged farms and business premises. They were followed in many areas by torrential rain, hail and hiab winds
The rains turned small creeks into swollen rivers which threatened many small isolated communities.
National guardsmen and volunteers in many areas early today worked feverishly to strengthen levees along river banks, spurred by the forecast of possibly more rain and high winds. At the height of the flooding a building housing a coffin factory collapsed, spreading coffins out over hundreds of square yards. Several ears were washed through store fronts. One resident called it the “worst disaster of any kind ever to hit Harrison.”
Rescuers were hampered by an almost complete communications breakdown. Floodwaters reached the town’s water supply and residents were warned to boil drinking water to prevent a tvnhnid enidemie ITPI said
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume C, Issue 29508, 9 May 1961, Page 15
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311Eleven Die In U.S. Tornadoes Press, Volume C, Issue 29508, 9 May 1961, Page 15
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