Want To Go To A Isolated Island?

If you fall into that group of people who often would like to go to some isolated island, then I recommend you Sir Richard Branson, Necker Island. This is one of the jewels of the British Virgin Islands. For a modest sum of $53,000 USD a night, this private oasis can be yours for you and your guests (and a staff of 60 of course). Check out the photos below on this little piece of Heaven, sigh…

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Congratulations to the Boston Bruins, 2011 Eastern Conference Champions

With the final horn at TD Garden, the Boston Bruins have secured their place in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals as the newly minted Eastern Conference Champion.

It's been a volatile seven game series between the B's and the Tampa Bay Lightning, filled with sideshow antics as well as some great hockey. While no one is ever thrilled with defeat, credit is due to Boston for a well played series.,

As for the Lightning, this concludes what was a surprising run in the playoffs, by a rebuilding team in year one of the franchise makeover. While the games are concluded, there will be no rest for the wary in the Bolts front office. Draft planning and free-agency decisions will be on the forefront for the next few weeks. Steve Yzerman has plenty of work ahead in getting players such as Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell under new contracts, while managing the cap so as not to handcuff the team going forward.

Once again, congratulations to the Bruins. For full coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals on SB Nation, I would like to encourage readers to check out both Stanley Cup of Chowder and Nucks Misconduct for coverage of the Bruins and Vancouver Canucks respectively.

Game 1 of the Finals will be Wednesday, June 1st, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver BC.

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Gil-Scott Heron Passes Away At Age 62 R.I.P.

Hip Hop pioneer, poet, musician, and author Gil-Scott Heron passed away today at age 62. While the cause of his death is unknown, Jamie Byng who was Gil’s UK publisher confirmed the news via Twitter a few hours ago.


“Just heard the very sad news that my dear friend and one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, the great Gil Scott-Heron, died today. Gil Scott-Heron’s death is NOT a rumour. I just called by Dorothy who is staying with Aunt Mimi in NY to tell me the news. I’m so sad.”

The Godfather of Rap who many referred to him as is known for his influence in spoken word, rhythm and blues, hip-hop culture and rap music where artists such as Talib Kweli, Common, Mos Def, Kanye West, Nas, Q-Tip and Dr. Dre have all collaborated or sampled his music.

via TheDailySwarm

R.I.P. to Gil-Scott Heron

Reactions from those in the industry, after the jump……

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10 Facts You Want to Know about Tornadoes

While the search for survivors of the nightmarish Joplin, Mo., tornado is still far from over, AccuWeather.com meteorologists are forecasting that another round of deadly storms is about to occur today.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the death toll had already raised to 118, ranking the event among the top 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes of all time. So why has the weather been so active?

According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity, one of the theories is the strong La Nina that occurred. La Nina is the colder-than-normal waters in the southern Pacific. That area of colder water has caused a shift in the jet stream that has resulted in a wild and extreme weather pattern across the United States since the winter; however, recent trends have shown the La Nina has weakened, but the residual effects on the jet stream are still causing extreme weather in the form of tornadoes. It will take another month or so for the weather pattern to finally shift to one that is not as extreme.

While it is unclear as to what has caused the extreme weather, one thing is sure, the severe weather season will go down in the record books for the United States, Margusity added.

Below is a list of facts about tornadoes, offering a quick reference of tornado records and stats. Keep checking back to AccuWeather.com for the latest watches and warnings.

Tornado Statistics

1. How many tornadoes hit the U.S. yearly?

Tornado reporting methods have changed a lot in the last several decades, so the officially recorded tornadoes are believed to be incomplete. Although the actual average is unknown, recent trends indicate the number is around 1,300. This year, the number of tornadoes is 1,151 reports which is on pace for a record season.

2. How many people are killed by tornadoes every year?

On average, about 60 people are killed by tornadoes every year, most from flying or falling debris.

3. What were the top 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes in the past?

1) March 18, 1925, Tri-State (Mo./Ill./Ind.), 695 deaths

2) May 6, 1840, Natches, Miss., 317 deaths

3) May 27, 1896, St. Louis, Mo., 255 deaths

4) April 5, 1936, Tupelo, Miss., 216 deaths

5) April 6, 1936, Gainesville, Ga., 203 deaths

6) April 9, 1947, Woodward, Okla., 181 deaths

7) April 24, 1908, Amite, La.,/Purvis, Miss., 143 deaths

8) May 22, 2011, Joplin, Mo., 124 deaths (pending final totals)

9) June 12, 1899, New Richmond, Wis., 117 deaths

10) June 8, 1953, Flint, Mich., 115 deaths

4. What city has been hit by the most tornadoes?

Oklahoma City. The exact count is not known, but the total is more than 100.

5. Which city/town holds the most tornado fatalities in a single city or town?

Murphysboro, Ill. – at least 234 people lost their lives during the March 1925 “Tri-state” tornado.

6. What was the deadliest U.S. tornado day?

The Dixie Alley tornado outbreak on April 27, 2011, set a record of 335 deaths.

7. What was the biggest outbreaks of tornadoes?

The Super Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974, spawned 148 confirmed tornadoes in 13 states and resulted in the second highest death toll (317) for a tornado outbreak in the United States.

The April 25-28, 2011, outbreak may exceed this number once the final number of tornadoes is counted. So far, there have been 492 tornado reports.

8. What was the biggest known tornado?

The Hallam, Neb., tornado of May 22, 2004, had the peak width of nearly 2.5 miles, which is close to the maximum size for tornadoes.

9. What was the strongest tornado? What is the highest wind speed in a tornado?

Tornado wind speeds have only been recorded in weaker ones, since violent tornadoes could destroy weather instruments. The highest winds that have ever been found during a tornado were about 302 mph near Bridge Creek, Okla., on May 3, 1999.

10. What were the costliest tornadoes?

On June 8, 1966, the Topeka, Kan., tornado had a cost of about $1,680,136,978 in 2010 dollars

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‘American Idol’ Champ Scotty McCreery

Scotty McCreery is the new "American Idol", result was announced Wednesday night. "It was a tight race... last night's show was just, it was just so amazing, [Lauren] sang like a bird last night," Scotty told Access Hollywood's Shaun Robinson after Wednesday's big "American Idol" Grand Finale.

"I don't know how America voted, I'm glad they did, but I'm sure it was tight," he continued.

Scotty said he was unaware of reports that surfaced Wednesday afternoon that predicted he would take the "Idol" crown.

"I stay off the Internet," he told Shaun. "‘Cause some people love you, some of them hate you, so it can tear you up inside. So, I try to stay away from the Internet, but I hadn't heard that."

The 17-year-old also told Shaun he knows his win is a signal of major life changes - possibly even with the ladies.

"It's going to be crazy, I mean I've expected, it's been changed for weeks now I guess," he said.

"Oh, you mean the women have changed?" Shaun asked.

"Yeah, I mean, it wasn't like this back home in Garner, [North Carolina] before the show," Scotty said. "[Girls,] they were tough on me back home."

"So it's a little easier now right?" Shaun continued.

"I hope so, you never know," Scotty added.

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'Idol': Haley Reinhart with Tony Bennett, plus Scotty McCreery with Tim McGraw

We return from commercial to a video tribute to Steven Tyler, a series of scats, bleeps and blue logos. "You should have seen the stuff we couldn't broadcast!" Ryan says afterward.

Haley Reinhart gets a great duet partner, too -- Tony Bennett, for a rendition of Steppin' Out With My Baby. She's swinging, and she's loving it. During the piano and guitar solos, the two wrap their arms around each other and step forward to dance together.

Next, Jennifer Lopez gets her own video segment, which features lots of auditioning contestants sucking up to her. And Casey Abrams kissing her.

Next performance slot goes to the surviving members of TLC and rapper Lil Jon (guess he's the new "L") for a medley that includes No Scrubs and Waterfalls, during which they're joined by the women of the Top 13.

After that, Scotty gets his moment in the spotlight, singing Live Like You Were Dying with Tim McGraw. Scotty steps up his game, vocally, in Tim's presence, and we get a real sense of what his performances could look at.

Sources: USAToday

Originally Posted By Brian Mansfield

'American Idol' on the scene for finale results show: Prom dresses, Tom Jones lyrics, and exhaustion, oh my!

Image Credit: Vince Bucci/Fox/PictureGroup

Where is probably the one and only place in the world where you can find Midwestern ladies in prom/bridesmaid dresses, people speaking a wide variety of languages, poster board signs covered in blinking lights, dozens of cowboy hats, and a mish-mash of the oddball celebrities? The American Idol season finale, of course! I was there last night as the show went down at downtown LA’s Nokia Theater, and the only way to really describe what was going on is to call it exactly what it was: a crazy spectacle. I’m not exaggerating: Moms werereally prowling around in prom/bridesmaid dresses! (True: Things such as this make mereally happy.) I love that, for some, the American Idol finale is something on par with a seminal life event like a wedding. To each his own, I suppose! But I digress. On to my other observations…

I couldn’t help but spend a little time outside of the theater before the show started, just so that I could soak up some of the American Idol realness that was oozing out everywhere. There were, of course, folks like Ace Young and Naima Adedapo and David Archuleta padding into the venue on a red carpet while waving to the throngs, but more interesting than all that, really, were the folks who were there to watch the festivities, the adoring fans. They’re a fascinating set, those who’ll brave the American Idol live show over just enjoying the madness from the comfort of their own living rooms. For instance, did you know thatAmerican Idol splits households? I watched one pair of ladies, who appeared to be sisters, duke it out over who should win the crown, Lauren or Scotty, while standing in line to get into the show. “We’re still friends,” said one, holding a Lauren sign up in front of the other, who was holding a Scotty sign. “We still love each other.” Really, this show could split your sisterly bond? Wow. A friend of theirs nearby, though, tried her best to dose the flames: “They’re both going to go far, no matter what.” That remains to be seen, of course.

After I amused myself with people watching for a while, I headed in to Nokia to what, honestly, ended up being one of the most entertainingly random concerts I’ve been to in quite a lot time: Lil’ John and…TLC! Tony Bennett! TOM JONES! Beyoncé — twice! In fact, the whole Scotty-or-Lauren thing seemed almost like a footnote to all the performances and other festivities that were going on. I’ll give you a run-down of what I observed from the belly of the beast — the truly few things you might not have seen on TV — but I will warn you first: The seat I was in wasn’t all that close to the stage, so the observations are pithy and short. Many times, I found myself watching the jumbo screens next to the stage that were broadcasting what was happening. As my colleague Adam B. Vary explained in his on-the-scene recap last night, EW was relegated rather far back. (The nerve!) Watching on TV might have been a better experience! But alas, here’s what it was like being at last night’s American Idol season finale:

Dancers with…Bicycles? Yes, that’s what I found on the stage when I walked into the theater about a half hour before the show started. What on earth? That’s all I could think. It wasn’t until a ways into the show that I discovered that, indeed, it was Casey Abrams performance with — and now it makes sense! — Jack Black that would use the dancing bicyclists. Of course, right?

Sign Rage! About 10 rows in front of me was a six-person group, holding huge blow-up balloon letters spelling S-C-O-T-T-Y. They significantly blocked the views of rows of people, and boy oh boy, you would have thought it was the end of times. “They’ve gotta go!” screamed one guy behind them, a few rows in front of me. “Are you kidding me?” one lady asked the crowd around her. It’s true: We couldn’t really see. But the culprits’ arms eventually got tired, and we got to enjoy the show, but not before many of the folks behind the huge balloons decided to watch the show from the aisle instead of their seats.

The Warm-Up Comic Cory: Much Too Much? Yes, Cory the Warm-Up Comic is always over the top. But last night he was nearly insane before the show went live and during commercial breaks, with his platitudinous remarks. “Don’t you think our judges this season have beenabsolutely amazing?” he screamed after the judges were introduced. “This will be the biggestshow of your lives!” he shouted later. We get it: You love Idol! It almost seemed like he expected an audience member to rush the stage and sacrifice themselves to the Idol gods.

Jennifer’s Entrance Based on my past on-the-scene posts, you know I can’t write about the show and not comment on The Queen herself. Tonight, since I was so far back, all that Ms. Lopez looked like was a glittery blob. But still: striking! Even from a distance! Based on what I could see on the jumbo screens, she was wearing a sparkly pantsuit type of thing. Dressy enough? Not sure. Reminiscent of that sparkly, flesh-toned bodysuit Britney performed in at the 2000 VMAs? Definitely. The possibility that she was only wearing body glitter and nothing else (at least from my vantage point)? Pretty good.

Note to Audience: Do Not Sit Down! After the first performance, where all the Idols sang Gaga’s “Born This Way,” it was time for a commercial break — and some very important directions from Cory the Warm-Up Comic. “During performance numbers, we want you all up on your feet!” he told the crowd. “This is a party tonight! That is the first and last time where you will be seated.” Aye, aye, captain.

The Judges Like to Laugh at Themselves (And Smack Each Other Sometimes)! During the video segment that ribbed judge Randy Jackson for his repeated use of “in it to win it” this season, you could find one Mr. Randy Jackson sitting at the judges’ table, heartily laughing at himself. Ryan, of course, was next to him, laughing right along with him. Steven, of course, found his segment later in the show to be very hilarious, too. And during her segment, Jennifer Lopez gave Steven a friendly smack when he made one of his trademark wacky comments about her.

Gladys Knight Owns the Stage There’s not really much more to say that that. Not sure if it translated as well on TV, but lady ruled the Nokia with her duet of “I Smile” with Jacob Lusk. Like, there really are no words. (Yet, somehow I keep rambling anyway.)

Who’s In The House? There were undoubtedly many, many more than this, but Cory the Warm-Up Comic announced a few of the celebrities inhabiting Nokia during the commercial breaks: So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy, Idol alums David Cook and Adam Lambert, and Hell’s Kitchen judge Gordon Ramsay were all in the house. Holler!

Tony’s Standing O Tony Bennett got one from the judges. But then again, how can you not give this guy a standing O? Especially when he’s singing alongside the lovely Haley Reinhart.

The Unofficial Cheer-O-Meter Being inside the theater, you really get a chance to see which performances the audience really responds to. The biggest craziness went to Beyoncé, TLC, Steven Tyler, and probably the biggest of all, Bono/The Edge.

Keep That Stage Dark One of the interesting things is that, even at the live show, the audience has no idea what’s going to happen next. You might assume that during the commercial breaks, we’d see which artist is on deck, but most of the time, that wasn’t the case. The Idol production team did a very good job of keeping the stage extremely dark during commercial breaks and set changes so that the next performer would be a surprise for both the TV viewers and those of us lucky enough to be in the house. There were times, however, that you could guess what was coming up next. Feathery dancers on stage and J.Lo gone from her seat? Yup, she’d be performing with Marc Anthony. Steven out of his chair? Yup, he’s next. A huge monstrosity appearing in the shadows on stage? No question: Only Gaga would bring such a thing with her.

Sing Along With Tom Jones! Please! So you probably noticed the crowd singing along when Bono, The Edge, and Reeve Carney sang the Spider-Man song (we were instructed to do so by Cory the Warm-Up Comic much in advance!), but that wasn’t the only time we were encouraged to sing along: Lyrics to Tom Jones’ “Delilah” popped up on the jumbo screens when he appeared on stage. It felt a bit weird because, like, doesn’t everyone know those words? Maybe not the younger folks, I guess. Sing, monkey audience members, sing!

The Final Moments Everyone stage at the end was a nice touch, right? From where I was sitting, though, it was interesting to watch it all go down. After Scotty was crowned, it wasn’t long before he sang and the show cut out. And that’s when you could see how everyone on stage was really feeling: totally tired! The jumbo screens zoomed in on everyone, hugging and congratulating Scotty, but I wouldn’t help but notice how exhausted everyone looked. It’s been a long season, which started way back in January. Ugh! But alas, it’s over. The final words to come over the PA in the theater last night? “Be very, very careful when you walk,” Cory the Warm-Up Comic warned we audience members, as we left the theater. “This confetti gets very slippery.”

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Originally Posted By Tanner Stransky

What Are You Looking For?

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"Biggest Loser" winner sheds 129 pounds: Can Olivia Ward keep weight off?

"Biggest Winner" winner Olivia Ward before and after dramatic weight loss

 (Credit: NBC)

(CBS) Opera singer Olivia Ward has something new to yodel about. The slimmed-down 35-year-old was named winner of season 11 of "The Biggest Loser," edging out her sister to claim victory after shedding 129 pounds in eight months.

Ward , who stands 5 feet, 9 inches, tipped the scales at 261 pounds when the competition started. On Tuesday night, she weighed in at 132 pounds. Upon winning, she thrust her hands overhead as confetti swirled.

"For such a long time, I didn't even let myself imagine winning," Ward told People magazine. "I will say the last few weeks I was really pushing towards the finish line and I thought about that confetti!"

Ward's weight trouble was the result of a poor diet and no exercise, according to "The Biggest Loser" website. She was overweight in junior high school but didn't really pack on the pounds until reaching college, when she decided to focus on music. She "completely gave up" when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome - a weight-related hormonal disorder that can make it hard to become pregnant.

"I was just in a funk," she told OK! magazine. "I thought, 'I'm never going to have kids because no one is going to want to marry me.' It was just a vat of self-pity."

But that diagnosis proved to be the biggest motivation for Ward to go on the show. Now she's $250,000 richer, and her dramatic weight loss means she's also richer in terms of health. Weight loss typically brings lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and less stress on joints.

But losing weight is one thing. Will Ward be able to keep it off?

Fat chance, experts say.

"The vast majority of people who lose lots of weight regain it," Dr. Rebecca Puhl, director of research at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, told CBS News. In part, she says, that's because the show creates an artificial environment - "no job, personal trainers, people feeding you" - that disappears once the competition ends.  

And then there's the matter of metabolism. As people lose weight, their metabolic rate drops, which makes weight gain likely once a more normal diet is resumed, according to the website of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Ward's best bet for staying slim may be to stick with the same approach that helped her lose weight in the first place - good social support, along with diet and exercise. According to the Stanford University Medicine website, a study by the National Weight Control Registry found that nearly all of 784 of the study participants who had maintained a significant weight loss for a full year used diet and exercise.

But for Ward, it may be too soon to think about what lies ahead.

"A lot of people told me to visualize that confetti," she told People. "Man, I have to tell you, it was not even anywhere as good in my mind as it was tonight. It was just fantastic."

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Originally Posted By David W Freeman 

'Dancing With The Stars' Winner: Hines Ward, Kym Johnson Win Season 12 Mirror Ball Trophy

LOS ANGELES — It's become a proud athletic tradition: Winning "Dancing With the Stars."

When Hines Ward took home the mirrorball trophy on the hit show Tuesday, he joined its winningest group of alumni: Athletes. Professional athletes have taken the "Dancing" title six times in the past 12 seasons.

Since the show premiered stateside in 2005, three Olympians, two football stars and one race-car driver have been named "Dancing" champs. Three other NFL stars and an Olympic skater finished the popular show in second place.

Ward, a Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and former Super Bowl most valuable player, credits his professional dance partner, Kym Johnson, with their dance victory. He plans to keep his new mirrorball right next to his Super Bowl trophy.

"It's special," the 35-year-old said, glittery trophy in hand. "With football, it takes all 53 guys. With this mirrorball, it was just Kym and I together in the studio putting in the hours. I'm just glad I didn't let her down."

Ward consistently posted high scores throughout the 10-week competition, and judges praised his showmanship and dedication.

"We've had some great footballers on `Dancing With the Stars,' but I don't think any compare with Hines Ward," head judge Len Goodman said during the season finale.

Ward was up against Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane for the season 12 title. The actresses finished second and third respectively.

His commitment was especially evident after Johnson suffered a serious neck injury during rehearsals two weeks ago. The couple triumphantly returned to the dance floor, earning perfect scores for their performance and drawing tears from Ward, Johnson and judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

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Dirk Nowitzki: Mavericks were 'almost perfect' during Game 4 comeback

A drained and dejected Scott Brooks sat and fielded questions from reporters Monday night with little energy or emotion. The Oklahoma City Thunder had just watched a 15-point lead evaporate with less than five minutes left in Game 4, and the team's coach struggled to find the words or answers to describe what had just happened.

Behind 40 points from Dirk Nowitzki, the visiting Dallas Mavericks clawed back, forced overtime and used a 17-2 run to escape with an improbable 112-105 victory, taking a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The Oklahoma City coach looked as if he had been awakened from a nightmare and Nowitzki was the monster haunting him.

"He made a contested three, you can't double team that," Brooks recalled of Nowitzki's fourth quarter heroics. "He made a spin off the wrong foot contested [shot], he made that. He made one that we double-teamed on the baseline, that was an impossible shot. He made that. He took over. He took over the basketball game like he is capable of doing."

The memorable comeback started after Thunder superstar Kevin Durant buried a triple at the top of the key with 5:05 left in regulation. Oklahoma City was ahead 99-84, but would score only two more points until overtime.

After Shawn Marion, Nowitzki and Jason Kidd converted five of their next six free throws, Nowitzki began the historic sequence that Brooks described.

Over the next minute and 15 seconds, Nowitzki hit all three of his field goal attempts, none of which were closer than 13-feet from the bucket.

"It was almost over," Nowitzki said. "If we mess up one more time, we give up one more offensive rebound that would have been the game. We couldn't afford any mistakes down the stretch and we were almost perfect."

Nowitzki then added a five-foot jumper and the Mavericks were within three with 1:25 remaining.

"We free flowed," Nowitzki recalled. "I don't remember actually calling a play the last couple of minutes. We just ran down and pick and rolled and free flowed it."

Marion hit one of his two free throws with 39 seconds on the clock and Nowitzki tied the score at 101-101 by burying a pair of free throws with six seconds left. The Mavericks then went on to outscore the Thunder 11-4 in overtime, capturing their first lead of the night on a Nowitzki free throw early in the extra session.

"He pretty much put us on his back, offensively," Mavericks center Tyson Chandler said of Nowitzki.

The 7-foot veteran has witnessed his share of late game heroics over his more than 12 years in the NBA. But even he recognized that this comeback was as special as any that he has been a part of while playing in Dallas.

"It was a great comeback for us," Nowitzki said. "Definitely one of the best that I can remember, being a Maverick, definitely in a very important game."

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DAVID COOK BRINGS ‘DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME)’ PERFORMANCE TO ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ FINALE

‘American Idol‘ is getting close to wrapping up Season 10, with the finale performance show airing tonight. After finalists Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina faced off in a singing battle for the gold, former ‘Idol’ winner David Cookperformed his cover of Simple Minds’ 1985 hit, ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me).’

Cook, who was crowned the ‘American Idol’ back in 2008, covered the Simple Minds classic song as the official “vote off” song for the television show. The ‘Idol’ alum’s rendition of ‘The Breakfast Club’ theme song is the perfect fit to accompany ‘Idol’ runner-ups offstage, since the lyrics are sad and hopeful all at the same time.

As Cook sang in a dapper black-and-white suit with a matching guitar, a montage of ‘American Idol’ clips played onscreen behind him and his band. It was sort of sad seeing past contestants like James Durbin and Jacob Luskin the video, but there were also funny moments, like when Casey Abrams smooched Jennifer Lopez.

David Cook will be releasing his album ‘This Loud Morning,’ featuring his single ‘The Last Goodbye,’ on June 28.

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Powerful twister plows through Joplin, Missouri (Reuters)

KANSAS CITY (Reuters) – A powerful tornado plowed through the southwestern Missouri town of Joplin on Sunday, flattening many homes, badly damaging a hospital and causing an unknown number of casualties, according to authorities and video footage of the storm’s aftermath.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon confirmed on CNN that an as-yet unknown number of people had perished in the twister, saying, “We don’t have any numbers, but we have had confirmation that there have been deaths.”

The Springfield, Missouri, “News-Leader” said Ryan Nicholls of the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management had confirmed 24 fatalities in the wake of the Joplin tornado, but he could not be reached for comment on that report.

Nixon also declared a state of emergency and announced that he was ordering Missouri National Guard troops be deployed to help state troopers and other agencies respond to storms that he said “have caused extensive damage across Missouri.”

State Highway Patrol dispatcher Charles Bradley said the precise extent of the damage was not immediately known but it appeared the devastation could rival the destruction left by a deadly twister that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama, last month.

“It’s kind of like Tuscaloosa again,” he said. More than 30 people perished in that storm.

Kathy Dennis, an American Red Cross official speaking from Joplin, a city of about 50,000 residents roughly 160 miles south of Kansas City, told CNN: “I would say about 75 percent of this town is virtually gone.”

Live video carried on the Weather Channel showed extensive areas where whole neighborhoods had been leveled.

Local TV news footage from the scene showed obliterated home sites, cars and trucks smashed and flipped upside down and fires burning amid piles of debris.

Joplin resident Denise Bayless, 57, told Reuters by telephone that many buildings on Main Street were leveled and the town’s only high school was burning.

She and her husband were at church when their adult son called to say the tornado was hitting his house, and the couple got in their car to drive to his aid.

“We just had to weave in and out of debris. Power lines were down everywhere, and you could smell gas. It was scary,” she said.

After stopping to assist a woman they heard screaming, trapped inside her home, Bayless said she ran five blocks to her son’s house, where she found every home on the street — some 20 dwellings including his — were demolished.

“I just lost all my bearings. There was nothing that looked familiar,” said Bayless, whose son was uninjured.

Beth Peacock, manager of a community concert center in town, Memorial Hall, said several hundred people had converged on the facility seeking shelter and medical treatment after the storm struck.

One local hospital, St. John’s Regional Medical Center, was hit hard by the twister, and several patients were hurt as the tornado ripped through the building, said Cora Scott, a spokeswoman for a sister facility in Springfield, Missouri, about an hour away.

“It is extensive damage,” Scott said. “The roof is gone. A lot of the windows are blown out. We are evacuating the entire building.

“We don’t have a firm number on how many (victims) are coming our way,” Scott added. “We know there will be some trauma patients.”

Steve Runnels, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Springfield, Missouri, near Joplin, said indications were that the tornado was very powerful.

“We have reports of significant structural damage to strong buildings,” Runnels said. “Automobiles have been flipped, bark was stripped off trees.”

Danny Gordon, an emergency services dispatcher in neighboring Newton County, said damage seemed to be heaviest on the south end of Joplin and that a triage center was being set up on the scene.

“We have asked all available law enforcement from adjoining counties for assistance,” he said.

A tornado warning continued for parts of southwest Missouri for twisters that may be part of the same storm system, Runnels told Reuters.

(Additional reporting by Carey Gillam, David Bailey and Chris Michaud; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Jerry Norton and Peter Bohan)

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