Kansas Tornado Death Toll Rises

(CBS/AP)  The death toll from one of the strongest tornadoes to hit the United States in the past eight years climbed to 11 on Tuesday when a critically injured Kansas police officer was removed from life support.

Robert Tim Buckman, a 46-year-old officer, suffered a head injury in the storm Friday that also killed nine people in Greensburg and another person nearby, officials said. He died early Tuesday at a Wichita hospital, a few hours after his daughter was married at his bedside, his son, Derick Buckman, told The Associated Press.

"He died being a hero," Derick Buckman said. "He was sworn to protect people, and that's what he was doing the night he got picked up by a tornado."

During his final hours, Robert Buckman symbolically gave away his 18-year-old daughter in a marriage ceremony at his bedside, his son said. The family's hometown preacher officiated at the ceremony for Kylee Buckman and her boyfriend, Josh Mondello, 22, Derick's best friend.

"He was there with his daughter to give her away," said Derick Buckman, a 25-year-old firefighter.

Buckman's son-in-law, Seth Cole, who is in the U.S. Army and had been scheduled to deploy to Iraq on Tuesday, said he requested leave to be with his wife, their three children and her family on Monday, but his request was denied by commanders at Fort Stewart, Ga. As he was preparing to leave later Tuesday, his battalion commander informed him he would be allowed a delay to attend the funeral.

Search and rescue operations continued Tuesday in Greensburg, where emergency responders have struggled to determined if any of its 1,600 residents are missing because many are staying with friends or relatives rather than in shelters.

President Bush was to tour the damage on Wednesday.

The 1.7-mile-wide, Category F-5 enhanced tornado, with wind estimated at 205 mph, destroyed about 95 percent of this farming town Friday.

One family is intact thanks to the heroics of a neighbor, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan. Kelsey Schroth protected her baby, Jaden, under a pile of rubble until her neighbor, Dennis McKinney, whose own house was leveled, pulled her free.

"He landed in this arm," said Schroth, touching her left elbow, "and I held the wall off of him with this arm," she said, holding up her right arm.

The last day anyone was found alive in the wreckage of Greensburg was early Saturday, when two elderly women were pulled from the wreckage of a Mennonite church.

Five trailers to house displaced families have arrived, and 20 more are on the way, said FEMA Director R. David Paulison, who toured the town by bus on Monday.

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."

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.

The storm system lingered over the central Plains in the week and was being blamed Tuesday for flooding across the states. The National Weather Service has issued flash flooding warnings for 10 Oklahoma counties, and several rivers were above flood stage. Thunderstorms are expected to continue until about Thursday.

[skyhawk761]

Why is every damnnn thing that happens in the US the Presidents fault or should I say Presdent Bush's fault? I have read enough of the comments from all you loosers and every one of you make me sick. What are you doing or going to do to help these people out? All of us are responsible for helping our brothers in time of need not just the federal government. Get off your assssesssss and do something!
Posted by retmilspouse at 11:23 PM : May 08, 2007

My wife and I give money every week at church. This money used to go for people throughout the country, but your great leader W decided that the states need to fend for themselves and it's not the Feds responsability to help them. Now this money can only stay in state because federal monies no longer come in. The federal money is tied up in a place called Iraq. Maybe you have heard of it. I'll reverse your question, why is it according to you wing nuts that Bush is NOT to blame for anything?

[retmilspouse]

Why is every damnnn thing that happens in the US the Presidents fault or should I say Presdent Bush's fault? I have read enough of the comments from all you loosers and every one of you make me sick. What are you doing or going to do to help these people out? All of us are responsible for helping our brothers in time of need not just the federal government. Get off your assssesssss and do something!

[homjett]

I read today, that the Gov. has back tracked on her statement, made for political reasons, at a time when folks were in need of her help, not her opinions. She also lied to CNN about the amount of her own National Guard and equipment. Her latest statement is that she was referring to what might happen if a REAL emergency happened. What we have here is shades of Gov. Blanco of LA. Its easy to blame the President for everything, an tornados are a way of life in the plain states, why is it that only the female Democrat Governors complain before they request the Federal Government to help. This is why the President asked an was granted the authority to override the Governors and declare Martial Law. In todays political climate, where some blame the President because their garbage does not get picked up in time. Lets get off the politics when it comes to natural disasters, an pull together to help those in need.

[homjett]

I read today, that the Gov. has back tracked on her statement, made for political reasons, at a time when folks were in need of her help, not her opinions. She also lied to CNN about the amount of her own National Guard and equipment. Her latest statement is that she was referring to what might happen if a REAL emergency happened. What we have here is shades of Gov. Blanco of LA. Its easy to blame the President for everything, an tornados are a way of life in the plain states, why is it that only the female Democrat Governors complain before they request the Federal Government to help. This is why the President asked an was granted the authority to override the Governors and declare Martial Law. In todays political climate, where some blame the President because their garbage does not get picked up in time. Lets get off the politics when it comes to natural disasters, an pull together to help those in need.

[homjett]

I read today, that the Gov. has back tracked on her statement, made for political reasons, at a time when folks were in need of her help, not her opinions. She also lied to CNN about the amount of her own National Guard and equipment. Her latest statement is that she was referring to what might happen if a REAL emergency happened. What we have here is shades of Gov. Blanco of LA. Its easy to blame the President for everything, an tornados are a way of life in the plain states, why is it that only the female Democrat Governors complain before they request the Federal Government to help. This is why the President asked an was granted the authority to override the Governors and declare Martial Law. In todays political climate, where some blame the President because their garbage does not get picked up in time. Lets get off the politics when it comes to natural disasters, an pull together to help those in need.

[mh4cbs1]

Lee Iococa (former CEO of Chrysler Corp):

Am I the only guy in this country who%u2019s fed up with what%u2019s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We%u2019ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we%u2019ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can%u2019t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, %u201CStay the course.%u201D

Stay the course? You%u2019ve got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I%u2019ll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies.

Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don%u2019t need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we%u2019re fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That%u2019s not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I%u2019ve had enough. How about you?

[mo005]

I would tell paris hilton, if she donated some of that wealth to the people of kansas she would be forgiven. My prayers are with you folks.

[hungry1968]

Should we waste our money on REBUILDING IRAQ so that Iraqis get more self sufficient to kill us or rebuild Kansas and New Orleans.
America comes first.
Posted by patriotic9 at 07:59 PM : May 08, 2007

America doesn't come first according to Bush and Cheney - Haliburton is first, then big oil, then the pharmaceutical companies, then the Republican party, then...

America falls next to last - right ahead of the Democrats.

[patriotic9]

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."

Should we waste our money on REBUILDING IRAQ so that Iraqis get more self sufficient to kill us or rebuild Kansas and New Orleans.
America comes first.

[pakaal]

The difference between this disaster and katrina is that the people in the midwest will clean it all up themselves... people in Kansas are also a different breed of people, they don't look nappy haired.
Posted by cmp271 at 04:01 PM : May 08, 2007

Oh, look, it's one of those ignorant, racist f*cks all annoyed 'cause CBS is blocking comments to the Barack Obama stories. Poor you, you must be going crazy over the pending hate crime legislation huh?

Putting aside your KKK support for a second, the whole point of a Federal emergency system is that in fact NOT everyone can bootstrap themselves out of a desperate situation like this, no matter where they're from. Second, I have to point out that comparing damage from a Category 3 hurricane hitting a densely populated urban area with a weekend of tornadoes spread across land in Kansas is a bit... ridiculous?