Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes batter Midwest

HALLAM, Neb. - Their ears popped because of the abrupt change in air pressure. Then they heard the cracking of trees being torn out of the earth.

"The wife told me, 'Let's get under the stairs," Richard Raley said.

Raley and his wife, Karleen, huddled beneath the basement steps Saturday as a tornado ripped away their house and much of the rest of the small village of Hallam.

In all, more than a dozen tornadoes swept across southern Nebraska, killing at least one person and prompting Gov. Mike Johanns to declare a state of emergency.

The tornadoes were part of three days of severe weather that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people from Nebraska to Michigan to West Virginia. Most had power restored Sunday.

Severe thunderstorms slammed southern Michigan for a third day Sunday, triggering at least two late-afternoon tornadoes near the towns of Montrose and Williamston. There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage.

Flood waters also swamped Lower Michigan, where about 95,000 customers remained without electricity Sunday.

In Nebraska, Johanns confirmed the death of a 73-year-old Hallam woman, identified as Elaine A. Focken. The woman died after being struck by flying debris while trying to reach her basement, according to Johanns' spokeswoman, Terri Teuber.

Residents of Hallam were evacuated 25 miles north to Lincoln overnight. Downed power lines and leaking propane tanks littered the town, prompting the Nebraska National Guard to surround the community Sunday to keep people from entering.

Brian Smith, a National Weather Service forecaster, said there were 19 confirmed tornado sightings, although that could have included multiple reports of the same tornado in different locations.

Some areas reported 4 to 6 inches of rain and widespread flash flooding. Authorities closed parts of U.S. Highway 77 and state Highway 41, said Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins.