Violent Storms Cause Tornadoes In Wisconsin
KAGAN: One witness said, as you look at these pictures, it looked like the sky exploded. We're talking about severe storms, including a tornado, striking central and southern Wisconsin Thursday. One person was killed. At least eight others were hospitalized. Dozens of homes were damaged. The tornado was so powerful it carried debris some 60 miles away. Reporter Justin Williams of our affiliate WMTV joins us from Madison, Wisconsin, to tell us how residents are coping there. Justin, good morning.</s>JUSTIN WILLIAMS: Good morning to you, Daryn. You mentioned some of the debris flying 60 miles away. That's true. It has been confirmed. Debris from this area flying as far as near Milwaukee. In the Waukesha County area have been located pictures and other remnants. We're actually trying to locate some of the residents to whom these photos and other items belong. Right now I'm standing at the corner of East Main Street and Fifth Street in downtown Stoughton. This is the Stoughton Opera House which also serves as city hall. Residents are in line to try to pick up wrist bands. They're in search of green wrist bands that will allow residents to at least try to get back into the areas where their homes are, or were as it was, depending on their specific circumstance. They're also issuing red volunteer wrist bands and white wrist bands for contractors such as folks involved with insurance companies. Here you see the line. It continues to grow around the corner here on Fifth Street. Thursday's devastating tornadoes pushed through here about 6:30 in the evening yesterday. We do have one confirmed fatality, as you mentioned. Meanwhile, hundreds of homes are being reported as having suffered extensive damage. The storm completely ravished one subdivision in the neighboring town of Pleasant Springs, which is just northwest of Stoughton at this point. Here at Stoughton City Hall, as I said, more than 300 residents have gathered. The mood seems to be fairly jovial and understanding as far as the disaster is concerned. As far as the media coverage, which is extensive at this point, a lot of these residents are actually sharing a chuckle at seeing how much attention their little city and small community are receiving at this point in time. I am happy to report that the Red Cross is on the scene. They are assisting. They've already helped more than 50 people. They expect that number to grow throughout the day. And we'll have more as it becomes available to us from here in Stoughton. In the meantime, like I said, a fairly jovial mood, all things considered, with most people here. Though you will find some red eyes from the tears that no doubt have been shed throughout the course of the evening and night and then this morning as well as people surveyed the damage, some of them for the first time.</s>KAGAN: Understandable. Justin, how common are tornadoes in that area there? And was there a good advance warning system to get people out of danger's way?</s>WILLIAMS: They have a pretty good advance warning system. From what I understand from discussing with our weather presenter the situation out here earlier today, we are located in Dane County on the northern portion of what's considered tornado alley. The country's tornado alley. So they are not terribly common but they do push through here from time to time. And we have had a couple already this year spotted and some touchdowns in the area. But from law enforcement and actually Dane County sheriff, Gary Hamblin, who has been in the business for a couple of decades, more than a couple of decades, word is that this is the most extensive tornado damage the area's had in several decades, dating back to the tornadoes which ravaged a nearby community named Barnavelt (ph) many, many decades ago. But in recent memory, nobody is able it put this on a comparison level with anything else they've seen. Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Justin Williams with our affiliate WMTV. Thank you. Let's see what the weather looks like in the Midwest today, as well as across the country. Rob Marciano is here with us. Hi, Rob.</s>KAGAN: Right now we're going to take a look at other stories making news coast-to-coast. The family of Coretta Scott King is expecting her to make a full recovery. The widow of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., suffered a stroke and a heart attack on Tuesday. Doctors say the 78-year-old woman faces intensive rehabilitation. Four people have died in a Utah cave. The bodies of two men and two women were found in a narrow, underwater passageway. The passage led to a chamber in the spring-fed cave. Authorities believe the four had been trying to swim out. And students at a Kansas high school are mourning the mauling death of one of their own. Seventeen-year-old Haley Hilderbrand was posing for pictures at an animal sanctuary when a tiger attacked her. Officers and the handler killed the tiger. Students from the school have had yearbook pictures taken before with the tigers at the sanctuary. That practice is likely to end.</s>DENNIS WILSON, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: I hadn't thought at this moment about what position the school should take. I think parents should be very aware and think very carefully and critically about having a picture taken with a wild animal. And knowing the owner of the sanctuary, I think he will self-police and this is probably the last time we will see pictures taken with tigers.</s>KAGAN: Sheriffs say the tiger that killed the teenager had often been around people and was no stranger to human contact. We're at 20 minutes past the hour. The airline industry getting kind of creative as it tries to cope with the high price of fuel. So the next time you board a plane, it could be sitting on half full. Details straight ahead. Plus, they don't want to work. They don't have to work or pay bills. 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