GREENSBURG, Kansas, May 6, 2007 -- Governor Sebelius toured Greensburg Sunday, calling it the worst devastation she had ever seen.

"As a former insurance commissioner, I personally went through the Hoisington and Haysville tornadoes, certainly the Andover tornado, but I have never seen an entire community wiped out at the same time. I mean, there’s nothing left."

Before her tour, she met the victims of the disaster at the Haviland High School shelter who quickly surrounded her before she even got into the door. She explained to them why they were being kept from their town for now -- for their own safety.

She then addressed the residents telling them, "First of all, I am incredibly sorry for your losses. I know that this is a community in mourning because friends and neighbors have lost their lives and a community of folks who have lost everything else."

But through all the rubble, Governor Sebelius believes the community will rebuild. She assured them the state and federal government would help.

"I've had people reach out -- everyone from the president of the United States to friends across the country saying they want to help," said Sebelius. "What I know about Kansans is that they are most resilient.

"There is a certain spirit in the Midwest of our country -- a pioneer spirit that still exists," said President Bush. "I am confident this community will be rebuilt. To the extent that we can help them, we will."

And it will take millions, but on Sunday, the governor offered them what they needed most -- comfort and assurance that everything will be alright.

Governor Sebelius will be back in Greensburg Monday with the director of FEMA.

SEEING THE DESTRUCTION FOR THE FIRST TIME

After the tornado passed, many people in Greensburg emerged from their shelters to a world they couldn't even recognize.

On Monday, beginning at 8:00 am, residents will be able to return to start picking up the pieces, but they won't be able to take anything with them.

We heard from one family that already got a look at their home with the help of NBC crews. They appeared on Sunday morning's Today Show.

Gene and Jill Macintosh saw their neighborhood for the first time in daylight Sunday. Nothing looks familiar.

"You don't recognize it. I'm trying to think, what was here on this corner? Oh, it was a big, beautiful house that had flowers everywhere," said Jill.

Like the rest of Greensburg, it's all gone now. Gene is a church pastor and wonders what happened to everyone he knows.

"That's the trouble, you don't know where -- where are they?" said Gene.

Their two-story home was peeled open. The sides of their house peeled away.

"I thought parts of the house were ripping off, it sounded like," said Jo.

But unlike other homes on their street, their home is still standing -- sort of. Family treasures can still be found.

Daughter Katarina found something unexpected.

"I heard the little kitten meowing over here under lots of rubble. I pulled up a few things and there she was. I've never seen her before."

Katarina said she will name the kitchen "Twister".

After surveying his home, Gene went to see what was left of his church. He had trouble finding the way -- the tall landmark steeple he's used to seeing was missing.

The church is battered, filled with debris instead of people on this Sunday morning.

"It's just painful," said Gene.

He says it's the memories made in the church -- the weddings, the funerals, the celebrations -- the basics of small-town life that he'll miss the most.

WORST U.S. TORNADO IN EIGHT YEARS

The National Weather Service has now classified the storm an EF-5, the highest classification for tornadoes.

"When you look at the damage, it's pretty evident that this was a violent tornado," said Dan McCarthy, Storm Prediction Center.

On the ground for 22 minutes, the Greensburg tornado had wind speeds of 205 miles per hour. It was the first EF-5 tornado in the United States in eight years.

"The last F-5 tornado that was produced was back on May 3rd, 1999 in Oklahoma City in Moore," said McCarthy.

Both storms are among the most powerful on record. The National Weather Service's response team determined Greensburg's rating by a survey of the damage, seeing building's leveled and the damage to the high school.

"The high school, for example, with three layers of brick, concrete block, plaster, totally destroyed -- built back in 1939 -- and you look at the elementary school as well, we felt that was at least 200 miles per hour right there," said McCarthy.

Even after seeing the damage, there may have been a silver lining -- the storm's width of nearly 1.7 miles, along with its intensity made it easily recognizable on radar, allowing the National Weather Service to give residents 20 minutes of warning. It was a move that saved dozens of lives.

It was a silver lining for residents who can only stand in shock after looking at what's left behind from a storm they will likely never experience again.

RESIDENTS WANT TO GO HOME

While residents will be allowed back into town Monday, the frustration of not knowing what happened to their belongings is growing.

While some at the Red Cross shelter in Haviland are still in good spirits...

"My dogs are safe, I'm safe. I will get my insurance money and I'm gone, I'm history," said one resident.

Other residents are very upset. After two days of being kept out of town, unable to see the damage to their property or hunt for family heirloons, they are getting frustrated.

Now, with more rains coming down, residents fear that what is left will not be salvageable.

Adding fuel to the fire are reports that four Army officers and a McPherson reserve police officer have been arrested for looting.

As the deadline to when residents will be allowed back continues to be pushed back, those we talked to say they are running out of patients, regardless of the reason.

As far as those looting arrests go, the alleged looting took place at a Dillon's store. The suspects claim they were told to help themselves because the products were going to be thrown away.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says that was still unacceptable.

WORLDWIDE INTEREST

There is worldwide interest in what is happening in Kansas. On Saturday, traffic to the KSN.com website more than doubled our previous one-day record.

We are also getting emails from as far away as England and Canada from former Kansans who say they are dependent on the internet for news.

HELP IS ON THE WAY

On Monday, victims of the storm may begin applying for federal aid. Some of the things that should be available to residents of Kiowa County include:

• Rental payments for temporary housing
• Grants for home repairs and essential items, personal property, medical and dental not covered by insurance
• Unemployment payments for up to 26 weeks for displaced workers
• Low-interest loans for homes and small businesses

You can apply for FEMA assistance online at www.FEMA.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. starting Monday.

FEMA is already in Greensburg offering help and more is on the way.

"We do have temporary housing enroute but of course there are a lot of issues before we can get that going too because there is debris on all this property -- dangerous debris on all this property. There is no running water, so there are issues like that," said Dick Hainje, FEMA.

FEMA is also trying to get communications back up and running while also handing out water and meals.

A lot of the victims lost important documents in the tornado as well. The Kansas Department of Revenue is trying to make it easy to get replacements.

On Monday, the Driver's License Office will be open in Pratt for victims to get new licenses. On Tuesday, they can head to the Treasurer's Office in Pratt where they can apply for new car titles. Also on Tuesday, a mobile station will arrive in Haviland to offer the same services to victims who are in shelters there.

The victims will need the documents for proof for their insurance companies.

SATURDAY NIGHT STORMS CLAIM ANOTHER LIFE

Elsewhere around the state, the severe weather continued. On Saturday night near Bennington in Ottawa County, one person was killed and five were injured when a tornado went through that area damaging or destroying dozens of homes.

The destruction happened at the Ottawa State Fishing Lake.

Esther Clark, 90, was receiving help from family and friends Sunday. On Saturday night, however, she was alone in her home asleep when the powerful winds broke out the window above her bed.

"It just made a 'bang!', you know, and scared me," said Clark. "I rolled out of bed. I was afraid. I thought it was a gunshot."

Down the road, the storms tore up Lee Stover's house as well. Like Clark, he too was home alone.

My granddaughter called me from Minneapolis and said 'the warning sirens are blowing, you better go to the basement,'" said Stover. "I went to the basement and about five minutes later, it hit."

Boy did it. Massive trees were uprooted and big trucks were mangled. A day after the storm, Jamie Muller peered into her damaged home. She has never lived anywhere else but Ottawa State Fishing Lake.

"I mean, when you grow up here you don't imagine this happening. It's so hard," said Jamie Muller.

Despite the devastation, residents say they will be back. They say it is just too beautiful.

NOW COMES THE FLOODING

The damage this weekend hasn't been limited to tornadoes and high winds. Now many are facing flooding conditions after heavy rains statewide.

Neighbors are helping neighbors in Ellinwood after heavy rain pounded that area.

"It started flooding early in the morning [Sunday] morning," said Brian Birney, Ellinwood resident. "We've been up bucketing water all night, just about."

The north end of town is covered with water, leaving several dozen homes in the same situation.

"Right now we're one of the more fortunate ones," said Birney. "I've got neighbors up and down this street that have 18 to 20 inches of water in the bottom of their basements. Some of these basements are finished."

In Great Bend, Veteran's Lake is growing. There are no picnics in this park, at least until the water recedes. In Saline County, farm fields are flooded due to the heavy rains there.

In south-central Kansas, kids at Harper's Elementary School were in school Sunday but not for class. They were trying to clean the water out of their hallways -- a task that has proven difficult.

"But the water doesn't seem to be receding as we'd hoped," said David Earls, Assistant Chief of Police, Harper, Kansas. "It seems to just be in place. Every few minutes a new comes along and the water has no place to go."

With the continued threat of severe weather, Harper residents have to shift gears at a moment's notice.

"We have to stop the sandbagging to go spot the storms, then as soon as we're done with that we're back to sandbagging so it's very frustrating," said Earls.

In Wichita, rain was sporadic so flooding has not been an issue there. But with more rain in the forecast for the next several days, Kansas residents are sure to face more flooding issues in the coming days.

Greensburg Tornado Stories with video:
Person found alive in Greensburg rubble
Monday brings broader awareness of Greensburg tornado damage
Residents return to devastated town
News of survival emerges
Tornadoes, flooding take their toll on Kansans
Video tribute to the survivors
Tornado moves through central Kansas
Small town landmarks gone
Residents displaced by deadly tornado
Aerial footage of the devastation
Greensburg Tornado: How you can help

Related Links - Stories with video of Greensburg before:
Positively Kansas: World's Oldest Soda Jerk
Greensburg hotel really shows Christmas spirit

Do you have weather photos you would like to share? Send them to photos@ksn.com.