Huntsville Declared a Disaster Area; Damage May Top $100 Million

President Bush issued a disaster declaration Friday morning to clear the way for tornado victims to receive federal relief in Huntsville, where 17 died and several hundred were injured or lost their homes.

Gov. Guy Hunt toured hospitals and visited with grieving families.

“I’ve been around a lot of tornadoes, but I’ve not seen the type of damage on as broad a scale as I’ve seen this morning,” Hunt said after a helicopter tour of the 10-mile-long path of destruction.

State emergency management officials estimated the damage at more than $100 million in the agency’s letter to Bush requesting a disaster declaration, said Terry Abbott, the governor’s press secretary.

Danny Cooper, the state agency’s director, listed 119 houses destroyed, 125 with minor damage, and three churches, two schools, 35 businesses and 10 public buildings either destroyed or suffering heavy damage.

Wind in the tornado was estimated at 250 m.p.h. when the twister hit Wednesday.

More than 400 people were injured, with about 80 still in hospitals when Hunt visited patients’ rooms Friday. City officials said about 1,000 were left homeless.

Cooper said about $1 million may be needed in the form of individual and family grants to provide clothing and temporary housing. The federal government pays 75% of the cost and the state 25%.

Police spokesman Ronnie Fudge said several truckloads of food had arrived, but the city is running out of places to store the goods. He urged that people donate money to relief agencies rather than send food.

Hunt also stopped at a school heavily damaged by the tornado. A hole in one outside wall exposed a caved-in classroom. Because the tornado struck after school hours, most of the classrooms were empty and only six children were injured.

In Montgomery, N.Y., however, an entire school district canceled its classes Friday to mourn seven children killed when 87-m.p.h. winds from another tornado shattered a cafeteria wall, raining brick and broken glass on 200 elementary school students.

The oldest of the children killed Thursday was 8 years old, officials said. Eighteen others were injured when the wall collapsed at East Coldenham Elementary School.

Anguished residents gave blood at the Newburgh Free Academy for victims of the disaster as lines of up to 40 people patiently waited their turn, said Sarita Pfahl, coordinator of the drive.

At the elementary school, where plywood sheets covered the collapsed wall, neighbors and parents placed flowers under a flag flying at half-staff.

George and Peggy Marshall, their 7-year-old son hospitalized with a broken femur and head injuries, tearfully placed white flowers in front of the school.

Five of the 18 children injured remained in critical or guarded condition, hospital spokesmen said.