d the victim as Elizabeth Croney, whose mother, father and a brother were injured when a tornado hit their mobile home in a rural wooded area 16 miles southwest of West Plains.

“We’re just trying to get help out to them at this point,” said Mike Wade, a dispatcher at the Howell County Sheriff’s Office.

It took paramedics about an hour to reach the home, and they had to use chain saws to cut through wooded debris blocking the road.

Tornado appeared quickly

At least four mobile homes, two houses and two service stations in Caulfield were damaged when the twisters hit around 6:30 a.m., and a tornado also touched down near an elementary school. Two more tornadoes were also reported in the area, said Mike Wade, a dispatcher at the Howell County Sheriff’s Office.

Several people in the area were hurt but the extent of the injuries was unknown. There were also reports of people missing from the area, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Marty Elmore.

Carmen Cenkush said she pulled off the road after seeing a tornado while on her way to work as a supervisor at the Cloud Nine Ranch Club in Caulfield. “It just went by. I mean, it was fast; it just went by,” Cenkush said.

In Caulfield, she saw damage to some homes and trailers.

“One of the stores there was, the whole garage on it was taken off,” she said.

Line of storms rakes U.S. midsection

In Kansas' Linn County, along the Missouri state line, Sheriff Marvin Stites said a tornado touched down Wednesday night, causing minor injuries, destroying at least two houses and ripping roofs and siding from several buildings.

The storm also destroyed a power substation for a large portion of the county.

The burst of tornadoes was part of a larger line of thunderstorms and snowstorms that stretched from Minnesota to Louisiana. In Nebraska, strong wind and heavy snow caused whiteout conditions in eastern Nebraska that forced the shutdown of 75 miles of Interstate 80.

More tornadoes possible

The National Weather Service warned those areas and others that more tornadoes were possible Thursday.

The bulk of the snowstorms Thursday morning were near the Iowa-Missouri border, moving slowly across Iowa. Blizzard conditions — heavy snow and wind gusts above 35 mph — were reported in parts of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

In Colorado and Washington state, heavy snow made for huge highway pile-ups and dangerous driving conditions.

Iowa and neighboring states saw a second snowstorm in less than a week, while heavy rain, hail and strong winds were forecast in parts of the Southeast — including the Atlanta area as well as parts of Mississippi and Alabama.

The storm system was expected to intensify as it moved through the Plains toward the Great Lakes, and winter storm warnings were in effect for much of the Upper Midwest, the National Weather Service said.

Parts of Wisconsin had seen 18 inches of snow by Thursday morning. Up to two feet of snow was possible in parts of the Upper Midwest.

Areas of freezing rain and ice were also expected from the Upper Mississippi through Wisconsin and Michigan.

Pile-ups in Colo., Wash.

In Colorado, a storm dumped six inches of new snow on some areas. Dozens of vehicles crashed, forcing the shutdown for several hours of a 12-mile stretch of Interstate 25 north of Colorado Springs. Eighteen people were taken to hospitals, four with serious injuries.

State Trooper Ron Watkins said authorities had to send a school bus to collect stranded motorists and take them to a hotel. Watkins’ advice to other drivers: “Stay away from the area.”

The National Weather Service had predicted less than 3 inches of snow for Denver, but at least 7 inches of snow fell in the suburbs west of Denver, and 10 inches fell in the foothills.

In Washington state, 60 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on Interstate 90 near the summit of a mountain pass, closing the highway for six hours and seriously injuring at least four people.

That accident triggered dozens of other accidents during the Wednesday evening commute. The area saw nearly a foot of snow overnight.

18-mile backup

The I-90 backup stretched 18 miles at one point. "We've got semis that are sideways and trailers that were hauling boats, and trailers that are destroyed, and trucks and cars. It's a mess," State Patrol Trooper Jeff Merrill said Wednesday night, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper.

Even low-elevation areas across western Washington state saw several inches of snow, and dozens of accidents.

A recent spate of good weather lulled drivers into thinking the worst was over, said Jeff Adamson, a state Transportation Department spokesman.

"We've had such good weather for the past few weeks and then this blasted weather comes," he said. "A lot of people took off their studded tires and are getting ready for spring. They forget that it's still winter."

Minnesota expects to get 'pummeled'

Schools were closed Thursday in parts of Nebraska, where heavy snow fell overnight, as well as Minnesota.

The snowstorm that was expected to drop at least a foot of snow on parts of Minnesota began its trek across the southern and western parts of the state late Wednesday.

A winter storm warning was in effect through 6 p.m. Friday. "We're going to get pummeled," National Weather Service meteorologist Byron Paulson said.

By Friday, snowfall totals were expected to be a foot or more in southern and central Minnesota. The weather service warned of blowing snow and possible blizzard conditions in the countryside.

Last Friday through Sunday, the Twin Cities got 9.1 inches of snow. Other cities further north recorded more than one foot.

50,000 still without power in Iowa

Iowa was also in the storm's path, and 50,000 customers were still without power after the last storm a week ago.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning through Friday for 38 counties in central and north-central Iowa. Winds are expected to reach above 50 mph, with drifting snow producing whiteout conditions.

"Customers have to prepare themselves that, yes, our system is vulnerable right now," said Ryan Stensland, an Alliant Energy spokesman. "There could be additional shortages if severe weather hits."

The good news is many of the eastern Iowa counties that were hardest hit by last weekend's storm may escape the brunt of the storm that could dump up to a foot of snow in parts of northwest Iowa by Thursday night.

Lt. Gov. Patty Judge said eight Iowa National Guard armories are preparing for the storm with extra supplies and staff. "We think we are doing everything that is humanly possible to prepare for this storm," she said.

State homeland security officials said 505 people spent the night at shelters statewide Tuesday night.

Stensland said crews, in some cases, have been going door to door restoring power, but damage to some lines could take weeks to repair.

In Iowa, grilling for the neighbors

Linda Tuttle, 57, owns The Pour House, a bar and grill in Malcom that's been without power since Saturday.

The restaurant's gas grill has been providing hot food to residents in the town of about 350, east of Grinnell. "We use a lantern to see what we're cooking," she said.

Though power was restored in her home, she hoped it would be turned back on at the restaurant by Wednesday night.

She bought several gas generators for her home and business, and is filling gas tanks in case another storm hits.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed we don't get it," she said. "I think everybody prepares for something to an extent, but you can only prepare so much."

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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