Tornado hits Iowa boy scout camp, killing 4 and injuring 40

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-12  |     ONLINE EDITION

A TORNADO slammed a Boy Scout camp in the remote hills of western Iowa late yesterday, killing at least four people, injuring 40 and setting off a frantic search for others who could be trapped in the piles of debris and downed trees.

A search and rescue team has been deployed to the camp near Little Sioux, Iowa Homeland Security spokeswoman Julie Tack said. She said the camp was covered with debris and downed trees after the tornado hit about 7pm.

Some victims might be trapped under debris, Tack said.

"We are still receiving information and we're processing it as we receive it," she said.

There were 93 campers and 25 staff members at the camp, Tack said. The campers were between 13 and 18 years old and were attending a leadership training camp.

"They were considered some of the best in the area," Tack said.

At least 40 people who were injured in the storm were being taken to area hospitals.

Gayle Jessen of Fremont, Nebraska said her 19-year-old son Zach is a staff leader at the camp. He called his parents to say he had a bruise on an arm and was being treated at a hospital.

"I'm so relieved my son is OK," Jessen said. She said her husband was headed to the hospital to pick up their son.

The 1,800 acre ranch is about 40 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska. The tornado touched down as Iowa's eastern half grappled with flooding in several of its major cities. The storm threatened to stretch Iowa's emergency response teams even further.

Tack said officials were confident that the state's emergency response teams could handle the crisis because western Iowa had been largely unaffected by the recent flooding.

Tornadoes also touched down in southern Minnesota and eastern Nebraska.