4 dead, 40 hurt as tornado hits Boy Scout camp

DES MOINES, Iowa — A spokeswoman for Iowa Homeland Security says at least four people were killed and 40 injured when a tornado struck a western Iowa Boy Scout camp.

Iowa Homeland Security spokeswoman Julie Tack says a search and rescue team has been deployed to the camp near Little Sioux in Harrison County. She says the camp is covered with debris and downed trees after the tornado hit about 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Tack says there were 93 campers and 25 staff members at the camp. 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.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

DES MOINES (AP) _ The National Weather Service has received reports of injuries and possibly fatalities from an apparent tornado that struck a Boy Scout camp in western Iowa.

Meteorologist Jim Meyer says law enforcement officials had called the weather service Wednesday evening and reported injuries and damage at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch.

Meyer said: "We believe there were some fatalities and injuries."

A dispatcher with the Harrison County sheriff's department in Iowa says first responders are at the camp and more are en route. She isn't confirming reports of injuries.

Comments

[tippy6]

This is all George Bush's fault!!! He PERSONALLY created global warming, which caused these tornadoes and he intentionally killed these boys! Before there were Republicans, there were no tornadoes killing people!!! Its all their fault!

See how stuipd that sounds? That's what some of you sound like. Pitiful.

This has nothing to do with politics, or even the environment. Its a horrible tragedy, that simply deserves only our sympathy, not our criticism.

[JimMan35]

We have the technology to be prepared.

When folks are going to be away from "civilization", as in going to a Scout camp with no TVs or cell phone coverage, Weather Radios can be life savers. My family in Oklahoma has them for when the weather goes bad and the electricity goes out. Often they come with hand cranks for phone charging.

Here's a link to NOAA's Weather Radio site:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/nwrrcvr.htm

It won't save the lives lost in Iowa, but it's something people can continue to gain awareness on.

[Big0725]

The NWS has gone out of there way to make sure that every square mile of U.S. territory is within range of at least one Weather Radio site.. I myself just picked up a radio from Home Depot that has the alert function and a handcranking dynamo, for $10. Works like a champ.

[MamaBird62]

The scouts HAD a weather radio and a siren, which they used exactly as they are supposed to, according to Chertoff in his earlier press conference. That's how they found out the storm was coming and got out of the way, to the extent possible in a wilderness camp with this type of tornado. Their quick response no doubt saved lives.

[Ping]

Who was in charge of this camp? Why were they not monitoring the weather? Who is responsible for the deaths of 4 children?

[georgiabluecoast]

no one is responsible. come on folks, its the weather. theres no controlling it, predicting it is more like gambling while drunk. this is no ones fault. even if you monitor the weather, it can still come down on your head. sheesh, its just the weather.

[scornflakes]

right on. enough with the outrage. it's a terrible thing to have happen, but tornadoes aren't like hurricanes. when you grow up in the midwest, you learn that all you can do is grab some cover and wait it out.

[isis]

Iowans are used to tornados and good at spotting them. Watching them race across the sky used to be sort of a sport for us. But this season they have been dropping out of the sky and defying radar detection until it is too late.

[barriosbabe]

I live in Iowa and I respectfully disagree. Anybody with one eye always pinned to the radar reports KNOWS when it might occur.

[Big0725]

I would be disinclined to agree with you also.

Firstly,it's going to be hard to see a torando drop in the middle of the night. Secondly, the NSSC in Oklahoma City has 3 different Doppler radars scanning that area and I know for a fact that those folks never sleep, so something sneaking up is just about out of the question.

I feel sorry for the families that lost someone in that storm last night, but someone HAS to answer for this.

[08timefortruth]

My nephew is one of the "first responders" in that area and he says there was no cell service in the park....I am totally appalled by the comments here about "God's punishment".....I think it is sickening for anyone to blame innocent children for a natural disaster....join Hagee's church if you feel that way...to all of you that do not live in or know the area, it is very desolate-a few farm homes on a gravel road, this is rural Iowa not downtown Des Moines and it is not that easy to get to major shelter from out in the country.......How many wilderness campgrounds does anyone know that have actual storm shelters even tho they should?

[barriosbabe]

But why go during active tornado season?! Also in Iowa.

[Gma11]

Uh, that's the entire summer!

[Gma11]

Those kinds of comments reveal the hearts and souls of those posting them.

[Ping]

But with early warning the kids could have gotten out of those buildings and headed for safety.

[racetoinfinity]

Only one mention of the scientific consensus that Global Warming is increasing the number and severity of storms in the U.S. It's not "coproately" correct. "Act of God" is old-fashioed ignorance in our environmentally informed age.

See this story -

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport

[TrevorAlan]

It looks like Iowa has renamed some emergency agency that, I think it might be the equivalent of a county or state sherrif.

[indrakaran]

It is very sad and how in the world it could have happened when you have an advance weather report of an impending Tornado, why did not the authorities move the camp to a safer place in the first place. How could anybody justify such a tragedy for the lack proper caution and safety measures?

[08timefortruth]

They had less then 12 minutes notice and were in the middle of no where...I was born and raised in the area so I know that there is nowhere to go in that length of time.........It is a campground in the middle of a large rural area so the chances are slim that a tornado would hit one of the few structures in the area....that said I hope that when they rebuild they put in storm shelters but most rural parks and campgrounds do not have shelters.

[MamaBird62]

Thank you!

[barriosbabe]

But why go during tornado season??

[Secure214]

When a "liberal area of the country" has a natural disaster it's God's wrath for all the sinners...
I can only imagine how the religious folk will behave when San Fran has "the big one."

What about when the anti-homosexual Boy Scouts get hit by Mother Nature?

Isn't every part of the country prone to natural didasters? Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Blizzards, Earthquakes, Hailstorms, Mudslides, Forest Fires...etc, etc...

When will humans learn it's just a part of living on earth...

[VOTER]

Heavy rains, flooding and tornadoes have become a daily part of our lives for the past week

here in the Midwest.

Last night's tragedy is too much. Sympathy to the families.

[SWEETPB307]

Much love and prayers to all those effected, from Philadelphia PA

[omahajim]

hi. i am from that area. having been in little sioux the day before this, that is total BS on the no cell phone reception. the national weather service in valley nebraska WENT DOWN during the storm from a lightning strike (who woulda thunk it?) and there was no dedicated weather radio report to listen to. and the sirens probably did not go off because of that. why somebody did not go to their car and listen to the radio, i dont know.

this could have been much worse than it was.

[lewes17266]

so sad.
it must have been horror.

[HumeSkeptic]

I'm sure homosexuality played a role in this.

[barriosbabe]

Who the hell goes to camp to hike during a severe weather watch? I live in Iowa and everybody where I live takes these storms VERY seriously. Some very Bozo people must have been in charge.

[xrepublican]

I've been a leader for over a decade. BSA lets most camps run down while sitting on MILLIONS of dollars. NO EXCUSE fot that camp not having a good shelter. NO EXCUSE for this to have happened when bad weather warnings ahd been issued. But 'Being Prepared' costs money.... and BSA doesn't spend money on kids.

BSA National is a con job - touting the flag and religion - while cheating kids and its membership. Low level paid employees and volunteers are treated like dirt but the higher ups are VERY WELL PAID and accountable to NOBODY. Meanwhile - even though there are MILLIONS of dollars in their coffers, demand outstrips availablilty for BSA National camps like Philmont and Sea Base.

The dozen camps our local Council used to own are gone - replaced with mudholes. Some were sold despite CLEAR conditions in the original bequest requiring that they be replaced if sold. Instead BSA stuck a name on part of a remaining property. Meanwhile the paid staff running our Council made twice what their Girl Scout counterparts made - while overseeing a program for HALF the number of kids.

[BeamMeUpScotty]

The local volunteer councils need to have majority power and voting rights over a for-profit National. After all, YOU are the Boy Scouts of America. Change the charter to remove the for-profit motive of executives who care about nothing but their paychecks. Those with a TRUE love of scouting will be glad to volunteer their services at the national level and make sure scouting remains true to its original charter. Paying executives of a not for profit organization a million a year should be a crime.

Heads should roll at the National level. Use this tragedy to remove the greed factor.

My prayers are with the family and friends of these young men.

[MamaBird62]

The local council does have the power of raising AND spending its money. Xrepublican obviously has an ax to grind with the scouts but doesn't know what he/she is talking about. Maybe he/she lives in Utah; Mormons have a weird stranglehold on scouts there. Doesn't really apply to the rest of us though.

"In 2005, the BSA ranked as the twelfth-largest non-profit organization in the US, with total revenues of $665.9 million. As of January 2007, the American Institute of Philanthropy lists the Chief Scout Executive as having the fifth-highest compensation of any nonprofit chief in the United States, at $916,028.[36] In 2005, the Chief Scout Executive's pay was 0.26% of total expenses, whereas the national average among charities stands at a higher 0.34%.[37] The Chief Scout Executive was honored in August 2005 as one of the top fifty most effective non-profit leaders by the Non-Profit Times."

OK, so the facts show us that scouts are paying their chief a little less as percent of total expenses than most charities. Oh and they also apparently do a good job of managing the organization. Please don't let facts get in the way of good rant though!

[MamaBird62]

Not really the time to launch into an anti-BSA rant. These boys are heroes and handled the emergency extremely well. I'm sure our troop will raise funds to send to Mid-America Council for repairs at their camp. Like all other councils it is financially independent and has to raise it's own money. Our sympathies go out to the families and friends involved.
Lots to say in strong disagreement with xrepublican but this isn't the time or place.

[mystic]

But it's OK for the BSA to rant all they want when it suits them?

[k6007]

I disagree, it is the PERFECT time, to launch an investigation into corruption that cost innocents their lives!!

[TrevorAlan]

If the national organization has the resources to prevent this type of tragedy (didn't someone get electrocuted at a BSA campground a few years ago) but does nothing, in fact knowingly promotes events in dangerous circumstances they could easily make safer, then yes it is time to rail at them.

That's an if, I'd have to defer to other's knowledge.

[barriosbabe]

Excellent time for your rant! Bravo!