In Kansas, the death toll from last week’s tornado in the town of Greensburg has reached nine. Governor Kathleen Sebelius said the town is devastated.

Kathleen Sebelius: “There really are no businesses, very few residences, no school, no hospital. The community is pretty well gone.”

Governor Sebelius said recovery efforts have been hampered because much of the state’s National Guard personnel and equipment is in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kansas lacks about half the large equipment it could use for recovery efforts and debris removal, including dump trucks and front loaders. More than 20 percent of its Humvees and all but four its helicopters were sent to Iraq. Kansas now has about 1,000 Guard troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and on the Mexican border. Sebelius said Kansas can’t borrow equipment from other states because much of their equipment is in Iraq, as well. Kansas has been forced to hire private contractors to help clear debris.