S.L. tornado claims life of Las Vegas man

A powerful tornado touched down in Salt Lake City early Wednesday afternoon, killing at least one person, injuring dozens of others, shattering windows, collapsing tents at the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market and ripping off sections of roof from the Delta Center and other buildings.

Allen Crandy, 38, of Las Vegas, was killed when he was struck in the head with flying debris. Crandy worked for Renaissance Management out of Las Vegas and was an exhibitor at one of the retailer tents.

The fatality was the first recorded tornado-related death in the history of a state that averages two twisters a year.

Wednesday's tornado hit at about 12:45 p.m. Rescuers and emergency management officials were still counting casualties at mid afternoon.

As the dark tornado funnel — an uncommon sight in the Mountain West — crossed the I-15 corridor, motorists stopped in their tracks.

Meteorologist Chris Young of the National Weather Service said the storm — classified as an F2 on a scale of 0-5 — then invaded the city's downtown area and headed through the Capitol Hill and Avenues neighborhoods to the east, damaging houses but losing potency as it went.

Gov. Mike Leavitt, following a fly-over tour of the damage, declared a state of emergency and asked the Federal Emergency Management Administration for assistance. At least 121 homes were damaged, 34 of which were uninhabitable.

FEMA director James Lee Witt committed to providing federal cleanup assistance, said Paul Smith, spokesman for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. From Washington, President Clinton said officials were already on the scene.

"The burden of recovery will be heavy, but it is a burden that the people of Salt Lake City need not carry alone," he said. "As they begin the difficult process of mourning, healing and rebuilding, our nation stands steadfastly behind them."

In its path, the storm ripped trees up by their roots, damaged and disabled power lines and transformers, and toppled the top half of a construction crane at the site of the new LDS assembly hall.

LDS Church spokesman Mike Otterson said two people were injured on the construction project, directly south of the Mormon Tabernacle. The famed Temple Square was closed.

The tornado spawned what one officer termed a "very dangerous" natural gas leak at the Salt Palace, which was subsequently evacuated.