JOPLIN, MO.: Two homes were hit but no injuries were reported when high plains winds took down a 1,000-foot TV tower near this Midwestern town. NBC affiliate KSNF-TV lost its tower Friday morning when winds hit up to 100 miles per hour in the Ozarks. The station's chief engineer, Jeff Hadley, told the local public radio affiliate that personnel were able to get out of the station's building before the tower fell.
The Joplin Globe carried images of the some of the wreckage in the yard of Keith Johnston's home. One picture shows Johnston standing next to a huge section of tower that appears to have smashed his car. Comments on the accompanying story indicate that a tower company had switched out the analog antenna for a digital one the day before, and that the crane used for the swap was still attached at the top.
KSNF, owned by Nexstar Broadcasting of Irving, Texas, reported that the collapsed tower did "significant" damage to the its building, which is right next to the base of the guyed tower. The station's and the electricity were down as of 10:15 a.m. Central time Friday, the most recent update on KSNF's Web site. Operations are continuing out of the facility of KSNF sister station KODE-TV, the local ABC affiliate – Deborah D. McAdams
