captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. it was a worst-case scenario. tornados among the largest nature can produce anywhere, ripping across the countryside late at night. after people had gone to bed. of course, can t always hear a warning. more than that, they hit during what s supposed to be the dead of winter, in late february, when there is supposed to be snow on the ground, not funnels in the western sky. some storms were moving at 60 miles per hour. too fast to outrun and the people and places in their path were no match. the same weather system is on the move again tonight after spawning tornados sightings in nine states. confirmed winds of 170 miles per hour. one of the storms carving a 22-mile-long path through branson, missouri. the hardest hit community is harrisburg, illinois. tonight lester holt is heading up our team there. lester, good evening. reporter: brian, good evening. there were 17 sighted tornados as storms leaped across the mid
captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. it was a worst-case scenario. tornados among the largest nature can produce anywhere, ripping across the countryside late at night. after people had gone to bed. of course, can t always hear a warning. more than that, they hit during what s supposed to be the dead of winter, in late february, when there is supposed to be snow on the ground, not funnels in the western sky. some storms were moving at 60 miles per hour. too fast to outrun and the people and places in their path were no match. the same weather system is on the move again tonight after spawning tornados sightings in nine states. confirmed winds of 170 miles per hour. one of the storms carving a 22-mile-long path through branson, missouri. the hardest hit community is harrisburg, illinois. tonight lester holt is heading up our team there. lester, good evening. reporter: brian, good evening. there were 17 sighted tornados as storms leaped across the mid