Tornadoes Ravage Through The Midwest

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - At least six people have died in Illinois and many others were injured after tornadoes ripped across the Midwest yesterday.

Washington, Illinois' population of about 15,000 - 16,000 suffered mass amount of damage, reports coming out that about 60 percent of the town was destroyed.

CBS Correspondent Jim Krasula is in Washington, Illinois and talked to Bill Rehkopf about the storms and devastation,

"When you see clumps of ground ripped from the earth, 2x4s that have penetrated cinder block walls, trees stripped of their bark, tractor trailer trucks turned over on their sides like they are nothing more than toys it gives you some sense of what these winds, their strength," Krasula said.

Officials at the National Weather Service are still counting the exact number of tornadoes that ripped through the area, last check Sunday night was 77, most of them in Illinois.

For such a powerful storm the death toll and injuries seemed low, Krasula credits the NWS for putting out notices and warning. Tornado watches were issued through out the day Sunday and earlier that week,

"I have to say that the National Weather Service storm predictions center, they started hinting at this severe weather outbreak middle of last week," he said.

He continued explaining the warnings issued, "Yesterday they issued what they call a high risk potential of tornadoes and severe weather across much of Eastern half of Illinois, Indiana, western Ohio and Southern Michigan."

Krasula also says that people there are happy they have their lives and are not as troubled by the loss of their belongings, saying they can be replaced.

You can hear the whole interview below:

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