Hello Anderson, Erica, Campbell and all,

I am here in Omaha and the storms are settling down a little for now. We have had a bunch of Tornados hit out here. We have a little Scout Training Camp just outside of a city called Little Sioux. It looks like there are between 30 and 40 injuries and 4 fatalities at this point. I will update more as stuff is available..

Hi Campbell...great to see you again.

So sad to hear of the deaths from the storms!

Cindy...Ga.

Campbell,

It looks like there were about 95 kids there. they were kids from 13 to 19 years old and it was a leadership training thing. It is 1800 acres and looks to have taken a direct hit by a tornado. If you have a way to look into what is going on in Little Sioux you can find out lots more...

Good evening Campbell. Iowa is having it rough tonight. Prayers go out to them all. Have a good night tonight Campbell.

oh my goodness those poor children......my thoughts and prayers with everyone in Iowa......this weather is just getting to be really insane

Nothing from Anderson, tonight?

Mother nature has a way of making us realize how fragile life is. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims. I hate to hear that people were killed.

I am really looking forward to Mic Ware's report! And I loved that he blogged today.

Cindy...Ga.

Update from Omaha,

It looks like the tornado that hit Little Sioux was a rain wrapped kind of tornado. They had a trained spotter out there that was streaming video when he was hit by the tornado. It spun the car around 180 degrees and scared the guy.

Good evening everyone.

Bill in Nebraska did this happen all of a sudden? I hadn't heard of any bad weather being reported in Iowa.

Update from Omaha

It looks like we have a tornado in the area of Macedonia Iowa.
I think it is Iowa... There is lightning damage and some fires here in Omaha..

It seems there may be a record number of tornados this year. Could global warming be a cause?

Hi Campbell, Erica and Bloggers!
My hearts go to boys and parents in Nebraska...... very horrible storm tonight!

if this tornado came on fast then the people at the camp probably had little time to prepare

It is very sad to hear of the tornado and the people killed and injured. Their families are in my prayers.

Wow, tornadoes and a flood. This is almost biblical.

Update from Omaha

These storms have been building for about 3 plus hours. We have been watching everything happening because of the tornado that hit here sunday morning.

Things look to be heading into Iowa now. There is an area of Omaha in the NW side of town that has been hit by lightning and there are a couple of homes that have been hit and cought fire.

Hi Bill!
Tell your home town, my thoughts and prayer with them who lost their lives and we love them so much!

Good Evening, Terrible news at the boy scout camp tonight.

Thanks for the information, Bill.

Hi, everyone... this is heartbreaking. It must be utter agony for the parents waiting for word from their children. My heart goes out to them.

May God bless all of those involved. We've had so much bad weather around the country this tornado season.

These poor people must be exhausted, emotionally and physically. Going on adrenaline, trying to help.

That kind of weather is very scary... Poor boy scouts.

Bill....thanks for your verbal i-reports

Man....these storms are just horrible! And it seems to be just getting worse.

Cindy...Ga.

Hi everyone.

The weather is getting really scary these days... I think Mother Nature is paying us back for the destruction WE have caused to the environment.

Have any of you made "go green" changes?

hi everyone. the weather and nature has been wild this year. So many people are dying. Its soo sad. Is there anything we can do to help? my prayers are with everyone affected. And by the way how is Anderson doing, does anyone know? hope he keeps himself safe wherever he is at.

How long does tornardo season last for????

Hi Erica,
I agree with you. my breakheart for them who lost their life too.....

Hi Bill, please take care...thanks for your updates...we're praying for you and everyone affected by these storms...

Those poor families and not able to get information about their children.

Update again from Omaha

It looks like the families are having to goto one of the meeting halls in Little Sioux. There are so many people out there to help that they are having problems getting crews in to get everything done. They are bringing in graders and front loaders.

Bill from Nebraska thanks for the updates.

Our prayers are with the families at the boy scout camp. This is a terrible thing to have happen. We hope all will be done as soon as possible to help all the victims and families that were there. Very sorry.

This is a sad reminder of just how dangerous this area is in the summer... tonight's storms are just the latest in a week with a tornado warning nearly every night. But it is nice to see that they have so many people turning out to help at the camp that they have to meet elsewhere so emergency vehicles can get through.

Hannah, I'm not sure but it can't be too soon for me.

Good I-report from Bill. I am sitting here with my flashlight. We have a big storm coming in now! You know what the Scouts say, "Be prepared!" I hope the parents can get to the kids quickly.

4 deaths at the boy scout camp, how absolutely awful for the parents who have kids there.

Bill; I am sorry to hear about the horrible weather there. Are the storms currently in your immediate area? I wish you the best!

Hannah Storm,
I think they are saying until before winter I think.........

Show us where Sioux City is

Omaha again

It looks like there is an active tornado just SW of Beatrice Nebraska headed kind of east north east @ 45mph

Just seems like we having been having tornado reports almost every week for a few months. It may not have been that long but with so many it is hard to tell

Ask those Scout officials if there was a shelter there in case of tornados. My husband and son are presently at Camp Bartle in Osceola, Mo. There are 1,000 boys there at a time and THERE IS NO UNDERGROUND SHELTER!!!!!

I am sure the kids are VERY shook up. Goodness. What a terrible lesson to learn at a young age. It makes you wonder?!

Hannah; I doubt it will matter how long they say tornado season is. I think Mother Nature has her own agenda now.

It seems like we have been having unusual weather at all different times of the year. Maybe Chad can speak to that.

How much notice did these boy scout have to take whatever shelter there was?

Jo Ann, you may have a point when it comes to the weather "schedule" and Mother Nature...

Omaha again

The local weather guys are saying that if you hear thunder then get to your basement. Don't wait for the warnings to come out, just head to the basement. It is moving into SW Iowa and NW Mo....

Pat, husband says he has never seen a underground shelter in the midwest for camping. He has camped for 30 or more years. I think most just try to get in a cave.

I am from Winnipeg, Canada and we are having weird weather here too, with two tornados so far and we rarely get them

a rain wrapped tornado sounds just crazy.....you can't see it. I just can't imagine

tornadoes can occur any time of year.
especially during spring. when warm air clashes with cooler air and vice versa.
i don't believe there's really a season. depends on where you live.

They reported on another Omaha station that at the time the storm was coming in that the NWS out of Omaha had experienced a lightning strike and their radar was down... the storm chasers were hit because the data they got was incorrect. The chasers said the camp would have gotten a warning about 12 minutes in advance.. seems like a lot of time, but not on an 1800-acre camp.

I'm not prepared for such a disaster although everyone in the midwest should be. I don't feel like I can really prepare too well. I have my flashlight and that's about it.

Omaha / Little Sioux

It looks like the scouts had about 12 minutes warning. That is if they had any kind of weather radio.

I think Mama Nature is definately talking to us this year. Start recycling and taking better care of me or else. Maybe the man upstairs has a little to say to Mama Nature too.

thanks Mollie.....I wasn't sure if it was little hurricane season

EJ, the main thing is to go to the lowest level of your house where there are no windows, if possible.

The tornado season for the Midwest runs about March-June, but tornados can and do happen at any time of year.

I do have experience before, I usually took drill go to basement when tornadoes strikes with my grandma and my mom and family too

Weather radios make great Christmas gifts for friends and relatives. It could be a life-saving gift.

I just wonder what's been causing all this. Only explanation I can think of would be global warming... We've had 3 tornados this month in New Mexico. I've lived in New Mexico entire life and never once seen or heard of a tornado here before this year.

I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment – so that's why I'm not too sure. We had some threatening weather last week and I was telling family members (who live elsewhere) to go to the basement but I think I just have to stay here. I don't live in one of the basement level apartments.

In Florida we don't have tornado warning systems but most of the golf courses sound bells. If you are lucky to live on or near the course you get the Dopler warning system.

In Omaha right now, we are on the back side of the storm line and seem to be slowing down some. The rest of the area however is not so lucky. There seems to be something around Pickeral Nebraska. This might be a tornado.

Little sioux update is 4 deaths and 40 injuries

EJ (USA); We have been pretty lucky here in Ohio so far, but it is just a matter of time. We usually get tornadoes in July. I think the best you can do is have a flash light and a radio. We have a full length basement and a bunch of "Tap" lights.

Mollie,
You're right! I agree with you..... that is very weird weather tonight.......
sometimes there is cool and hot mix goes together called tornado.

The levees breaking away would be just horrible. I hope they hold. Nothing stands a chance when the river swallows up all it can.

My thoughts and prayers to our American friends dealing with such
severe weather throughout many of your beautiful States. My heart goes out to the parents waiting to hear from their children at the boy scout camp.
Yvonne- (Ottawa,Canada)

Picking up for Bill now here in central Iowa. The storms are almost to our part of the state. Lots of severe weather and tornadoes, but also heavy rain which we really do not need. Watersheds for area rivers are already saturated, so everything that comes down translates to flooding.

I think this year we have had very bad weather all over

Omaha area now,

Looks like we are now looking at lots of flooding and flash flooding. So everyone south and southeast of Omaha needs to be watching for this. They say 1 foot of water is enough to take down a person and 3 feet will take a car away..

Our weather is changing for a reason and it is sad that people have been injured and even killed. Thanks Campbell for the updates. Keeping all of them in my prayers.

EJ, when I lived in an apartment, I would always get in the bathtub because there were no windows in there. Hopefully, yours doesn't either.

The other channel was reporting that skies were clear about 1 hour before the storm. Kids were probably having fun, swimming and hiking.

You know, we have few tornadoes in my hometown in Seattle and South Olympia, just few tornadoes not much for while........

It's not too important to have an idea of when troops may be able to come home......not cool McCain

I hope after Katrina, our government learned it's lesson and gets help/assistance to these people faster than Obama and McCain select running mates!

Hi Erica – looking forward to your reports tonight!!

Nice Job Campbell – hellooooooo Anderson, wherever you are

I think both of them have had bad judgment. They need to stay on the issues!

Cindy...Ga.

I do not understand why the Jim Johnson news is such a big thing except for the fact that McCain is making it so. Obamna was correct when he said that he would have to start vetting the vetters. He has had so much happen to him, it must be difficult to know when to respond or not respond to these issues.

I think Obama will be the first to bring change to washington

EJ (USA); We have been pretty lucky here in Ohio so far, but it is just a matter of time.

I hope we continue to be lucky. In past years I haven't been that scared listening to the weather when there's a bad storm. Last week I was afraid.

This type of weather all over the country has definitely caught my attention – if mother nature is trying to warn us.

It seems that they nitpick too much.

Nice to see David Gergen on AC 360!

Hannah, they cut off the full answer. McCain said the issue was casualties. If there are no casualties, the urgency to withdraw the troops is much reduced. Cambell, you need to play the whole answer!

McCain and his campaign folks need to think about that special word "hypocracy" before they start to lecture Obama.

Obama is the same type of politician as the rest of them. He just talks a good talk.

Cindy...Ga.

Hannah, I could not agree with you more. not cool at all.

Omaha again,

Just had someone talking about the corn crops out here. With weather like this I would have to say that they are very damaged for sure and we could lose a lot of them. This is yeat another problem with this kind of weather.

I agree with Lou about the vetting the vetters.

whew! – its hard to transition into this political news after hearing about those boy scouts

David Gergen is right in a way. Both Candidates can't stay in a bubble, isolated from Washington people. But I think we want the same old same old to end as much as possible.

I think David is absolutly right and this "Tit for Tat" needs to stop on both sides and they need to get down to the issues facing this country right now, today.I do not think this is doing either candidate any good in the long run.

Campbell is right about that! Obama said he was a "new type of politician," but he is using the same old tactics.

Obama was the one who criticized Countrywide for their lending practices; that is the difference.

Andrew, Obama started it by attacking McCain about lobbists. Obama has claimed he is different, yet the more we see, the more he is the same.

All politicians are the same but some are better then others. But i do believe Obama is the change and directions this country needs. Someone new and different.

It too much time is spent on topics other than the real issues. I want to hear some plans.

Mike, do you think that the soliders can be over there for any length of time without casualties?

I disagree with David Gergen. McCain's comment will hit the American people in a much more visceral way than the resignation of a lobbyist ever could. Jim Johnson is only the bigger story in the beltway.

Renee, Where our big camp is there are no caves. I'm thinking of contacting the Boy Scouts and starting a Tornado Shelter Money Drive. At Camp Bartle, they just go down the hill.

Cynthia, yes. We've had soldiers in Germany and Japan since 1945 and Korea since the 1950's. It depends what they are there to do.

Being a different type of candidate relates to how you campaign and govern using the 'peices' that are on the table.....it does not necessarily mean using completely new peices......it may reflect a different approach.....

Omaha area,

if you have family out here and are trying to find out if they are okay, The phone switches are flooding and being hit by lightning so they are down. I have been trying to make calls for friends online on my cell and not getting anyone. My home phone is down, but at least I still have Internet.

Little Sioux update:
It looks like it may have taken a direct hit and all of the buildings are now gone. More info is coming in dribbles and drabbles right now

This boy scout story is just so sad

Cynthia yes they can.

Like they are in Japan, Germany, Kuwait.

I agree with guys, David and Campbell have good point who criticized Obama since last time.

Cythia, we have had troops in Korea and many other places after conflict ends and they are not experiencing casualties from armed conflict.

Obama has actually been talking about lobbyists since the Iowa primary. He didn't start by attacking McCain. Its been an issue within his canadacy since the start.

But Mike, Germany and Japan are not the middle east. Our very presence there causes violence.

Stay safe Bill in Nebraska

Mike, Syracuse, NY; The Jim Johnson appointment goes to Obama's lack of good judgement. If he can't even choose a decent VP selection committee how is he supposed to choose a qualified cabinet if he becomes president?

Also, I think Obama showed a little "confusion" when he said that although Johnson was on his VP selection committee he didn't work for him.

It is terrible news about the Boy Scouts........I hope that there are no more fatalities....

Good News! The kids are 13 to 18 years old. I am sure they can help each other and have great survival skills. I was thinking elementary school kids.

Let's everyone hold on to hope. These are smart boys. Let's hope they have watched lots of Man vs. Wild on Discovery.

Andrew, the point is Obama acts like he is different and squeeky clean, when he is just like everyone else. How he got to be a state senator in the first place shows he is just like evryone else.

Little Sioux

Looks like 4 of the children were transported to Sioux City Mercy Medical Center. They were all teenagers, 2 came in via life flight. They are saying they are serious injuries. The rest may be coming here to Omaha

Renee, without shelter, there's only so much that survival skills can do for you when you're up against a tornado.

But I agree, it's good they are teenagers.

The difference between Iraq and Japan, Germany and Korea is that conflict has not ended in Iraq there are constant attacks happening there and I doubt the attacks in Iraq will be ending anytime soon.

Campbell thanks for a great show tonight. I know the show did not go as it was originally planned for tonight but you all did an exceptional job covering things. I know too that it is hard going from the tragedy back to politics but you all handled it well. Cudos to you all and see you tomorrow night.

JoAnn, Jim Johnson was an unpaid person. McCain really showed poor judgment in what he said today. It's not what you say but how you say it.

Bill in Nebraska,
Hang in there! Please stay safe! I am praying for you......

What a very long night it will be for the families of the Iowa scout camp. I hope they hear what's going on real soon.

Paris and Gary – Hannah just expressed what I was thinking of about Senator McCain's comment.

I think boy scouts are pretty prepared even at the younger elementary school ages, but there is only so much you can do if you are caught in a tornado. That is just a sad story.

Thanks for the updates Bill-Nebraska. Stay safe and thanks Campbell/Erica for the breaking news coverage.

Cynthia; That is just semantics! Just because Johnson wasn't paid doesn't mean he didn't work for Obama.

Mike, I agree with you, he is a human being and just like everyone else, but McCain must stop talking down to Obama likes he's a 5 year old in an elementary school foreign policy class! He's an adult and a formidable canidate for president, whether you like him or not.

Good night Campbell, Erica, Bill and Bloggers and (Anderson, I missed him so much!)
Have a good night! Sleep tight!!!!!!
See you tomorrow night!

Good Wednesday evening all. I hope the morning light will prove to be less deadly for all those in the midwest. Thanks Campbell and Erica. Bill too..Night all

great show under these horrible circumstances. Will look forward to Michael Ware's piece hopefully tomorrow night (pending any breaking news)

I will be praying for the boy scouts and their families tonight.

Good night Erica and EJ(USA)! Stay safe Bill! See you all tomorrow!

Final update from central Iowa. The storms are weakening, so there is less severe weather, but the heavy rain is still a major issue. So very sad about the kids at that camp. Yes, it was a leadership camp and there would have been nowhere to shelter. I can't imagine sending my child off to camp and having something like that happen. A very sad night in Iowa.

and good night all, Campbell, you did a great job tonight. Thanks for the doing the show.............