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Federal Aid Unlikely For La Crosse

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) -- State aid is expected to help La Crosse recover from the tornado that ravaged the city's south side Sunday. But a La Crosse County emergency government official says the destruction is unlikely to reach the threshold for federal disaster aid.

The tornado, with winds of up to 120 mph, was on the ground for 4 minutes Sunday afternoon, cutting a 2-mile path of destruction through La Crosse . The twister destroyed houses and buildings, snapped trees and knocked down power lines. No one was seriously injured.

Emergency Management Coordinator Keith Butler says the damage is "on the low end" of what can happen when a tornado moves through a community.

The La Crosse Tribune says the 150-yard wide tornado is the first to hit the city in 50 years.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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