Deadly Storms Level Midwest Towns

At least six people were killed in the southern Illinois town of Harrisburg after a pre-dawn storm leveled much of the community of 9,000 people.

Published

over 1 year ago

Categories

US

Topics

United States

People

Robert Ray

Places

Indiana, Illinois, Harrisburg

Tags

cyclone, tornadoes, twister, extreme weather, storm

Transcript

Script[LOCATION: HARRISBURG, IL--FEBRUARY 29, 2012][SOURCE: AP][NAT-BREAK: HARRISBURG, IL--FEBRUARY 29, 2012][VOICE-OVER] AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TOWN OF HARRISBURG AFTER A PRE-DAWN STORM LEVELED MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY OF 9,000 PEOPLE.[SOT: SHARRON MURRAY / HARRISBURG RESIDENT]"I WAS AT WORK AND MY DAUGHTER IN-LAW CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT MY HOUSE WAS GONE."[NAT-BREAK: HARRISBURG, IL--FEBRUARY 29, 2012]WITH HER BEDROOM NOW OUT IN THE ELEMENTSUP THE ROADRIPPED SHEET METAL TOSSED LIKE PAPERAS THE F4 TWISTER LEVELED NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSFLIPPING CARS LIKE TOYSAND LEAVING A TRAIL OF SHOCK AND DESTRUCTION FOR RESIDENTS [STAND-UP: ROBERT RAY/ ASSOCIATED PRESS]"AND WITHIN ALL THE DEVASTATION AND RUIN AROND THIS TOWN THERE ARE SOME AMAZING STORIES OF COURAGE. LIKE NELL COX WHO IS IN HER SEVENTIES AND SAVED HER NEIGHBOR."[VOICE-OVER]NELL, A CANCER SURVIVOR WHO'S HUSAND PASSED TEN YEARS AGO WOKE UP DURING THE STORM[SOT: NELL COX / HARRISBURG RESIDENT]"MY WINDOW BLEW IN MY BED BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, IT HAD ALREADY HIT AND LEFT."[VOICE-OVER]BUT HER NEIGHBOR, WHO IS FIGHTING CANCER HERSELF, WAS NOT SO LUCKY[SOT: NELL COX / HARRISBURG RESIDENT]"SHE GOT BLOWN OUT OF THAT HOUSE, SHE SAID SHE GOT THROWN OUT HER WINDOW."[VOICE-OVER]NELL WAS SHINING A FLASHLIGHT OUT HER DEVASTATED HOME WHEN SHE SAW HER NEIGHBOR CRAWLING FOR LIFE[SOT: NELL COX / HARRISBURG RESIDENT]"AND I BROUGHT HER IN AND STRIPPED HER AND GOT HER WELL IN MY CLOTHES."[VOICE-OVER]SHORTLY AFTER AN AMBULANCE CAME, NELL COX SAVED HER NEIGHBOR AS SHE IS NOW AT A HOSPITAL IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.[NAT-BREAK: HARRISBURG, IL--FEBRUARY 29, 2012][VOICE-OVER]THE TORNADOES WERE SPAWNED BY A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM THAT BLEW DOWN FROM THE ROCKIES ON TUESDAY WEAVING A PATH OF DESTRUCTION through KANSAS, MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS[NAT-BREAK: HARRISBURG, IL--FEBRUARY 29, 2012][VOICE-OVER]THE CLEAN-UP IN HARRISBURG HAS ALREADY BEGUN AS FAMILIES TRY TO PIECE BACK TOGETHER THEIR LIVES IN THE BATTERED TOWN THEY CALL HOMEROBERT RAY, ASSOCIATED PRESS, HARRISBURG, ILLINOIS (****END****)ANCHOR VOICE: ROBERT RAY--------------VIDEO PRODUCER:ROBERT RAY______________VIDEO SOURCE:AP, ROBERT RAYVIDEO APPROVAL: ----------------------------VIDEO RESTRICTIONS: ----------------------------------MARKET EMBARGO (S): --------------------------------SCRIPT/WIRE SOURCE: