Stormy weather interrupts work at Capitol building

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- All Molly Manes could think as she took shelter Tuesday in the basement of the Missouri Capitol was: "Not again."

The 14-year-old girl from Fair Play was still getting over the tornado that destroyed four of her family's barns Sunday when a tornado warning went up for the capital city, where Molly was on a class trip.

"I never thought this would be happening twice," said Molly, who joined her classmates and hundreds of others waiting out the weather in the Statehouse basement.

Fair Play lies about 12 miles from the southwest Missouri town of Stockton, which was devastated Sunday by tornadoes.

The tornado warning was posted around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday and sent hundreds of people -- including the House, Senate and Gov. Bob Holden -- to the Capitol's lower level as a safety precaution.

The all-clear was sounded at 5:45 p.m.

Among the throng was 10-year-old Ashley McFarland, a fourth-grader on a class trip from Independence, who broke down in tears worrying about her family.

Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell handed Ashley his cell phone so she could call home and talk to her father.

"I've never been in a tornado before," Ashley said afterward, tears streaking her face. "I was afraid that my family wasn't safe."

Holden and Maxwell posed for pictures with students and signed autographs, while legislators working on budget bills continued meeting in a basement hearing room.

"I hope this brings people together to where you can truly understand the real values we have in society," Holden said.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder said the cooperation displayed in the mass move to the basement could bode well for the remaining days of the legislative session, scheduled to end May 16.

"To me, it holds the potential to bring us together in the final days of the session," said Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau.

Keith Russell, a building manager for the state, said the evacuation went well considering the number of the people who were in the Capitol.

"I think things went very well," said Russell, who had been guiding people to the basement. "We have had great cooperation from everybody."