Two found in Kansas tornado rubble

GREENSBURG, Kan. – The death toll from a tornado that nearly obliterated this farming town climbed to 10 on Monday, but residents said it could have been far worse if not for a 20-minute warning that gave them time to take shelter in storm cellars and basements.

“We had plenty of warning,” said Gary Goodheart, whose house was gutted. “If people paid attention to sirens they should have been able to get to a safe place.”

Two bodies were found Monday – one in the debris and another in the Kiowa County State Fishing Lake. Two survivors were found Sunday night when a passer-by heard the women yelling from a church basement.

The 1.7-mile-wide Category F-5 enhanced tornado, the most powerful to hit the U.S. in eight years, destroyed about 95 percent of the town Friday night. It also left 13 people hospitalized, four in critical condition.

The search-and-rescue effort stalled briefly Monday after an overturned storage tank began spewing anhydrous ammonia, a toxic substance used for fertilizer by farmers. A portion of the town was evacuated, and access to the city was cut off briefly.