Kan. Tornado Deaths at 9; Residents Back

Residents return to their property in Greensburg, Kan., Monday, May 7, 2007. The massive tornado, an F-5 with wind estimated at 205 mph, was part of a weekend of violent storms across the Plains that killed at least 12 people statewide. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) (Orlin Wagner - AP)

"I didn't even really give it thought ... the 'tornado emergency for Greensburg' ... it was like instinct _ just did it," he wrote on the blog.

The government's response to the disaster was undermined by ongoing National Guard deployments to the Middle East, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said.

"I don't think there is any question if you are missing trucks, Humvees and helicopters that the response is going to be slower," Sebelius said. "The real victims here will be the residents of Greensburg, because the recovery will be at a slower pace."

Sebelius said she would address the issue with President Bush when he arrives in Greensburg to tour the damage on Wednesday. White House spokesman Tony Snow rejected the criticism, saying the National Guard had equipment positioned around the country to respond to disasters when requested by states.

"There's been an enormous amount of help on the scene already, frankly, when it comes to what's been going on with the tornado. FEMA has certainly been actively engaged, and the administration is doing whatever it can," Snow said at the White House. "And if there's a need for equipment, it will arrive."

Five trailers to house displaced families have arrived, and 20 more are on the way, said FEMA Director R. David Paulison. He said if his agency can house 80,000 people on the Gulf Coast, it can handle 1,000 people in Greensburg.

The search-and-rescue effort stalled briefly Monday after an overturned storage tank began spewing anhydrous ammonia, a toxic substance used for fertilizer by farmers. A portion of the town was evacuated anew, and access to the city was cut off briefly.

School was canceled for what remained of the year, superintendent Darin Headrick said. But he reassured students and staff: "Our teachers will have jobs; our kids will have classrooms to attend," he promised. "This is going to be a huge hurdle for people to overcome, but it will also be a huge opportunity."

There remained plenty of caution about what the rubble might reveal in the coming days. Since the tornado hit Friday night, emergency responders have had little indication of how many people in this central Kansas town of 1,500 may be safely staying with friends or relatives, rather than in shelters.

Law enforcement officials will be checking identification and compiling a list of people whose whereabouts still haven't been determined. Residents were told to leave again by 6 p.m.

Amid the searching, a museum volunteer uncovered a missing 1,000-pound pallasite meteorite. One of the largest of its kind in the world, the meteorite is insured for $1 million. For decades, meteorite hunters from around the world have been drawn here to hunt for space rocks in the rich soil near here.

Museum volunteer Don Stimpson dug through the rubble Monday until he found the meteorite where it had been displayed, enclosed in glass at the Big Well museum and gift shop.

"I read reports the meteorite was gone, that it got sucked up by the tornado," Stimpson said. "Unless you know what you are looking for, it looks like rubble."

Tree trunks stood bare in Greensburg, stripped of most of their branches. All the churches were destroyed. Every business on Main Street was demolished, and the town's fire engines were crushed.

The massive concrete silos of a grain elevator towered over the flattened expanse of what was left of the town.

Near downtown, a woman supported by two others stopped frequently along U.S. 54, breaking down in sobs.

"If I hear that people are going stay and we're going to have a school, then I'll stay," said Greensburg High School shop teacher Peter Kern, who had lived in the town for the last year. "If we don't have a school, I don't have a job."

(This version CORRECTS death toll to 9 per officials and that two survivors were found Saturday, instead of Sunday.)