THE STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SAYS AT LEAST 14 ARE NOW REPORTED DEAD AND AT 19 IN HOSPITALS AFTER SATURDAY NIGHT'S TORNADOES.  THE WORST ONES RIPPED AN AREA FROM SENECA TO NEOSHO;  12 ARE REPORTED DEAD IN NEWTON COUNTY, WHERE  DEPUTIES SAY AT LEAST 50 HOMES HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.  ONE PERSON DIED WHEN A TORNADO HIT PURDY, IN BARRY COUNTY, AND ONE PERSON DIED WHEN A TREE WAS BLOWN OVER ONTO A MOBILE HOME NEAR CARTHAGE IN JASPER COUNTY.


OUR EARLIER STORY FROM 8 PM SATURDAY:
NEWTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SAYS THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED BY A TORNADO THAT DEMOLISHED SEVERAL RESIDENCES BETWEEN SENECA AND NEOSHO.  PART OF HIGHWAY 60 IN WESTERN NEWTON COUNTY WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF DEBRIS OVER THE HIGHWAY.  FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES WERE ALSO REPORTED IN STONE, MCDONALD, BARRY, TANEY AND CHRISTIAN COUNTIES.