Devastation Wasnt Enough News Today

Daughter. can you tell us how you escaped? >> well, we happen getting messages from friends in i watch ka at that where were from, that there was a terrible storm coming. they told us to seek shelter. we found an overoverhang on a medical office building from where im standing now. we parked and got out of the car. and we huddled together. myself, my friend, denise, and her daughter, alexis. we huddled together against a wall. and i think about two hours -- two hours -- it felt like two hours, b...

That rubble. the city manager says that at least 89 people are confirmed dead. and that numbers is likely to go much higher. our cnns brian todd, he is at a hospital that took a direct hit from that tornado, and he joins us by phone. on the phone, brian, if you could, just describe for us what you are seeing. >> were seeing the scene of total devastation here at the hospital in the center of town. the tornado took dead aim moving west to east through downtown joplin, starting at about 5:30 p.m. ...

89 people were killed. it leveled homes, severely damaged a hospital and a high school. one storm chaser described the scene as complete devastation. he says parts of the city of joplin are unrecognizablunrecog. well take you there live just moments away. thing under the gas cap, thing... do you even have a name? well, it doesnt matter. because its about to change. theres a cheaper, cleaner way to fuel up now. the volt plugs into any socket, and fuels up at home. sure it could use gas, but for m...

>> we want to go live to joplin, missouri for the latest on the destruction, the search and rescue efforts, all of that, our cnns brian todd is there. brian, just paint a picture for us, the kind of damage youre seeing and what kind of efforts are being made now to find people alive. >> suzanne, as if the devastation wasnt enough, now rescuers have to deal with very severe weather. thunderstorms have just rolled through here, lightning. you probably still see it flashing in the sky on occasion. ...

Watch. >> look at the trees -- the trees are debarked. >> hear one stormchaser drive tlug joplin right after the tornado -- driving through joplin right after the tornado hit. theres not much to see for miles. to check out the tornado from the air, knbc had a helicopter tracking. it as you see how big this is. at least a half a mile wide. now before it formed, other tornadoes took aim at the twin cities. one person was killed in the minneapolis area. almost two dozen others hurt, trees, power li...

But theyre still looking for survivors. theyre still looking for people trapped in homes, trapped in buildings, possibly trapped in vehicles. they were pulling people out all night. so this is something that goes on, and the reason im coming to you by phone is because the weather has turned on us. it started raining heavily here with a thunderstorm again. thats complicating the rescue efforts, suzanne. >> brian, i imagine thats making people pretty nervous and upset, the fact that there is more ...

>> i love everyone. i love everyone, man. i love you. >> jesus, jesus, jesus. heavenly father. >> this is joplin this morning. after daylight revealed the devastation, the tornado cut through the center of town killing at least 89 people, taking out homes, businesses, a hospital, a high school. jaime green is a photographer for a kansas newspaper. just listen. >> we huddled down. was my friend and i and her 6-year-old daughter. we huddled down over her daughter up against a wall, against an offi...