Six people were killed by dozens of weekend tornadoes in the central United States, but analysts said the number likely would have been far greater if the National Weather Service (NWS) had not issued an usually stern warning 24 hours in advance of the twisters. A NWS official said a “month's worth” of tornadoes were seen Sunday in Kansas, where about 100 homes were damaged in Wichita but no serious injuries or fatalities were reported. But one northwestern Oklahoma town was not so fortunate. As a huge tornado approached in darkness Sunday morning, Woodward's 20 outdoor tornado sirens did not sound. They apparently had been disabled when lightning struck a tower used to activate the system. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said six people, including three children, were killed in Woodward.
