Tornados Rip Through Midwest but Leave Attractions Untouched

May 7, 2003

Tornados Rip Through Midwest but Leave Attractions Untouched
Storms made their way through Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee this week, wreaking havoc on travel and killing at least 38 people.

According to CNN.com, more than 80 tornadoes were sighted in Midwestern and Southeastern states Sunday night and thousands of buildings were damaged and without power. A second round of suspected tornadoes hit Missouri yesterday, causing a junior high school to collapse and bringing down trees and power lines.

NTA contacted several members this week to determine the affects of the storms on attractions and tourist destinations.

"As far as I know everything is alright. The storms did cause a lot of damage in the southern part of the state, and there are a lot of people without homes, but the attractions were pretty much untouched," said Cynthia Morris-Tapp, group specialist, Missouri Division of Tourism. "Unfortunately, the damage was mostly residential."

To learn more about the storms, visit CNN.com.