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American Morning
Maryland Tornado Kills Three
Aired April 29, 2002 - 07:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: A very unusual and devastating tornado rode across southern Maryland last night, killing at least three people. The storm has left communities with demolished stores and houses and littered streets with overturned cars, torn power lines, and a whole lot more.
CNN's Patty Davis joins us now from La Plata, Maryland, with the very latest on what residents woke up to this morning.
Good morning, Patty.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
As you said, three people were killed in this tornado, two people in their homes, one person in his car at an intersection of downtown, which is just over the hill behind me. About 80 people injured, another 12 medevaced, injuries ranging from head injuries, broken arms, broken bones, those kind of things. As you can see, this is the damage the tornado did. We are talking a tree here completely uprooted. Over here, across the way a little bit, we'll show you the county building, its membrane, its roof, ripped off. You can see trees and insulation and everything on the ground here completely strewn all over the place.
About 100 yards from here, behind me, downtown La Plata -- that is where the major damage occurred. A shopping center in downtown La Plata smashed, a Kentucky Fried Chicken completely flattened, a drugstore, a grocery store as well smashed. Windows, roofs torn off, all those kinds of things. You can see it's demolished, metal twisted like paper around buildings and trees, building installation strewn all over the place. It almost looks like cotton candy coming through trees.
Officials say that this tornado started a 12-mile swathe, basically ripped its way east from here, through Hughesville and then into Benedict.
As I said, three people died -- Paula.
ZAHN: So did people there have any warning that this was coming their way?
DAVIS: Well, that is the good news about this tornado. In fact, there was warning. Sirens were ringing, were blaring. I was listening to the radio and television broadcast myself, living about an hour away, and there was plenty of ample warning. As you can see from the downtown mall, it was so completely smashed, it's just amazing that more people didn't lose their lives. Obviously, the warnings did the job -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thank God for that, because I tell you, Patty, you look at those pictures this morning, and it's much worse than even any of the reports I had seen had suggested. Thanks for giving us that tour. Appreciate it, and good luck to the residents there.
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