Storms Pummel Midwest, Scare Visitors

Severe weather lashed the Great Plains yesterday after forecasters warned of a possible tornado outbreak as bad as the 1974 one that spawned 39 twisters, AP reports. At least four tornadoes touched down in Kansas, causing widespread damage and spooking a pair of runaway circus elephants. Heavy rains caused rivers in Iowa to burst their banks. More storms are expected today.

"This will be a train effect," said an emergency management coordinator for a southern Iowa county. "Storm after storm after storm is going to go over the same area." (More tornado stories.)