 Spring delivers tornado, flooding to central US Mar 20th 2012, 16:26  Darren Abate / AP Damage from a twister that hit Devine, Texas, overnight is seen Tuesday. By msnbc.com staff and news services Heavy rain, hail and at least one tornado struck the central U.S. overnight and the forecast on the first day of spring was for more of the same. The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down Monday evening about 25 miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas. Most of the damage was to rural homes north of the towns of Natalia and Lytle. "We have multiple homes damaged, several homes were taken by this tornado," said Roy Bermudez, a deputy with the Medina County Sheriff's Office. Several people suffered injuries.
Thousands of customers lost power in San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth, where strong winds and rain pelted the area, and power outages were reported in Oklahoma City and Tulsa County. Flights were stopped temporarily Monday night at Love Field airport and some 35 flights were canceled Tuesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Dozens of San Antonio streets were closed by high water from flash flooding or by debris. The San Antonio Fire Department reported at least two house fires that may have been caused by lightning strikes. A truck driver had to be rescued in San Antonio after a live power line was blown onto his truck by the strong winds, trapping him inside. The fresh crop of storms comes after two tornadoes damaged homes and railcars in North Platte, Neb., on Sunday. One of the twisters, which injured four people, was measured at EF3, with winds up to 165 mph. Flooding remains a serious concern across the affected areas. Chicago saw several days of record-breaking 80 degree weather, and in Atlanta, Ga., pollen counts are setting records as well. But in Flagstaff, Ariz., the city is digging out of its second largest snowstorm. Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Seidel reports. Eight inches of rain was expected in southeastern Kansas, which has been unusually dry for nearly a year. Forecasters said the Marmaton River at Fort Scott, Kan., would likely exceed flood stage later Tuesday, but drop again Thursday when the rain subsides. Emergency management officials said they're keeping an eye on the clouds but feel that southeast Kansas can handle several days of rain. In Arkansas, however, emergency management officials readied teams to respond to flash floods, especially in the western part of the state where the heaviest downpour was expected. The U.S. Forest Service closed campsites preemptively Monday, exercising caution after 20 people died in a flash flood at a remote campground in 2010. Forecasters in Tulsa, Okla., said the slow-moving storm was expected to stall over the area, dumping up to 12 inches of rain. When rain falls in the the hills and valleys, "it's quickly funneled into small rivers and streams," said B.J. Simpson, a National Weather Service meteorologist. "Those are the most dangerous areas." Still, even flatlands could see the potential for runoff and flash floods if the rain comes too fast for the ground to absorb it. "There's really no amount of dry ground that can take up to 10 inches of rain in a couple day timeframe," Simpson said. The rains come at a time when south and central Texas are still in the grips of a drought that began early in 2011. It developed into the state's worst one-year drought ever. "The more water we can get now the better off we'll be down the road, later on this year," said Roland Ruiz, Assistant General Manager of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, which manages the region's water supply. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook |  Trayvon Martin case to go to grand jury, Fla. state attorney announces Mar 20th 2012, 14:59 In the wake of growing public outrage, the FBI and Department of Justice are now looking into the deadly shooting of an unarmed black teen in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer. NBC's Lilia Luciano reports. By msnbc.com staff and NBC News A grand jury will investigate the death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old shot to death in a gated community in Florida on Feb. 26, state attorney Norm Wolfinger announced Tuesday. "I share in the desire of the family and the community to accurately collect and evaluate all the facts surrounding the tragic death of Trayvon Martin," Wolfinger said in a news release. "The public is entitled to no less than a thorough, deliberate, and just review of the facts. We intend to honor that commitment." The Seminole County Grand Jury will be called to session on Tuesday, April 10, Wolfinger said. Meanwhile, on Monday, the Justice Department and the FBI opened an investigation into the death of the black teenager, who was shot by a neighborhood watch captain who was not arrested. Mom: Trayvon Martin was killed because of 'the color of his skin'
Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook More than 435,000 people, many alerted by tweets from celebrities such as movie director Spike Lee and musician Wyclef Jean, signed a petition on Change.org, a social action website, calling for the arrest of the shooter, George Zimmerman. The Justice Department investigation will review whether Zimmerman, 28, violated any federal civil rights statutes when he shot Martin, who was not carrying any weapons when he was killed. The shooting occurred February 26 when Zimmerman spotted Martin walking home from buying candy and iced tea at a convenience store. Zimmerman, patrolling the neighborhood in his car, called the 911 emergency number and reported what he called "a real suspicious guy." "This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about," Zimmerman told dispatchers, adding, "These @!$%#s. They always get away." The dispatcher, hearing heavy breathing on the phone, asked Zimmerman: "Are you following him?" "Yeah," Zimmerman said. "Okay, we don't need you to do that," the dispatcher responded. But several neighbors subsequently called 911 to report a scuffle between Zimmerman and Martin. While some of the callers were still on the phone, cries for help followed by a gunshot could be heard in the background. "I recognized that (voice) as my baby screaming for help before his life was taken," Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, told Reuters. “(Zimmerman) was reacting to the color of his skin,’’ Fulton, said Monday on NBC's Today show. “He committed no crime. My son wasn’t doing anything but walking on the sidewalk, and I just don’t understand why this situation got out of control.’’ 'Stand your ground'
Police declined to arrest Zimmerman, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, enacted in 2005 and now in effect in at least 16 other states. Dubbed "Shoot first (ask questions later)" by opponents, the Florida law allows a potential crime victim who is "in fear of great bodily injury" to use deadly force in public places. | | Trayvon Martin's final phone call: 'He said this man was watching him' Mar 20th 2012, 14:55 By msnbc.com staff A 17-year-old boy whose death has sparked national outrage fearfully told a friend over the phone moments before he was shot and killed that he was being followed, ABC News reported Tuesday. "He said this man was watching him, so he put his hoodie on. He said he lost the man," the female friend of Trayvon Martin, who was shot to death on Feb. 26 in Twin Lakes, Fla., told ABC. "I asked Trayvon to run, and he said he was going to walk fast. I told him to run, but he said he was not going to run." Martin, who is black, was unarmed when a neighborhood watch captain spotted him walking home after buying candy and iced tea from a convenience store. Call logs from Martin's phone confirm he spoke with the 16-year-old friend interviewed by ABC News minutes before his death, the news station reported. She was not identified, and spoke through an attorney. More than 435,000 people, many alerted by tweets from celebrities such as movie director Spike Lee and musician Wyclef Jean, signed a petition on Change.org, a social action website, calling for the arrest of Martin's shooter, George Zimmerman, who has claimed he acted in self-defense. On Monday, the Justice Department and FBI announced they opened an investigation into the shooting. Grand jury called in Trayvon Martin case Mom: Trayvon Martin was killed because of 'the color of his skin' Although Martin initially told his friend he wasn't going to run, he eventually did, she said, but the stranger managed to corner him. "Trayvon said, 'What, are you following me for,' and the man said, 'What are you doing here.' Next thing I hear is somebody pushing, and somebody pushed Trayvon because the head set just fell. I called him again and he didn't answer the phone." After that, the line went dead, she said. According to ABC News, other than screams on 911 calls as Martin and Zimmerman scuffled, those were the last words Martin said. Zimmerman called police 46 times
Zimmerman, meanwhile, called 911 dozens of times in the months that led to the fatal shooting, The Orlando Sentinel reported Monday evening. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office released six calls he had made, four of which called police to report "suspicious" persons -- all of whom were black -- in or near the Retreat at Twin Lakes enclave, the paper said. The other calls were about a neighbor's open garage door and children playing in the street at dusk, reported The Sentinel. None of the newly released calls are related to Martin's shooting. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook | |
