Hoisington, located some 100 miles northwest of Wichita, is in Barton County, named for American Red Cross Founder Clara Barton. The Clara Barton Hospital lost its roof in the storm, and all patients had to be evacuated. This is not easy for any of us. A huge swath of Hoisington now resembles a war zone. About 25 percent of the town of 2,900 people was damaged during the storm.
Officials say the town is lucky that only one life was lost.
He was waiting for tornado sirens that never sounded. His body was found two hours after the tornado hit, underneath the minivan in his backyard. There were 28 injuries, some of them serious. More deaths and injuries were prevented because most families in the tornado-prone town ducked into their basements. Hoisington High School lost its auditorium and almost every window.