<img src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/new.gif" border=0> 05/11/08 2:33 p.m. Tornado in Newton County reported at EF3-EF4

May 11, 2008 03:47 pm

— Five of the 12 people killed in Newton County Saturday night were in their vehicles, according to Keith Stammer, the Jasper County emergency management director who is working with Newton County officials. Six of the fatalities occurred in structures and one death happened when a tree fell on a person.
According to Stammer, the National Weather Service station in Springfield is reporting the tornado as an EF3 to EF4, giving it wind speeds of to 200 miles at the highest speed, according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.