Search continues after a massive tornado obliterated most of Kansas's Greensburg, amid claims that rescue efforts are hampered by war in Iraq.

Waves of thunderstorms rippled across the Plains states on Sunday, drenching rubble that the Friday night tornado had scattered across Greensburg and threatening tornadoes elsewhere.

At least 10 people were known dead from weekend storms, eight in the Greensburg area and two others elsewhere in Kansas, one Friday night and another in violent weather late Saturday, state officials said.

Amid the destruction, rescue workers and officials held out hope that death toll wouldn't rise and that they can rebuild their town, from replacing the destroyed churches down to the town's fire engines.

"At this point, it's still a search and rescue mission," Kansas state trooper Ronald Knoefel said. "We don't want to give up hope."

Search teams used trained dogs to sniff for bodies and used their hands and heavy equipment to clear away the rubble, but officials did not know how many people might still be missing.

"A lot of people have gone to other places and it's difficult to track them down," said Major General Tod Bunting, the state's adjutant general. National Guard engineers were assigned to help with the search.

To make things worst, looters are reported to have come to the city. Four soldiers and a reserve police officer were arrested Sunday on suspicion of looting cigarettes and alcohol from a store in this town, state officials said.

In a separate incident, two people wearing Red Cross jackets who were not members of the relief agency were arrested Sunday on suspicion of looting, said Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for the adjutant general's office. She did not have any additional details.

The tornado itself was the wildest it could be, the National Weather Service classified the Friday night tornado as an F-5, the highest category on its scale. The weather service said it had wind estimated at 205 mph, and carved a track 1.7 miles wide and 22 miles long.

Greensburg Administrator Steve Hewitt, who lost his home, estimated 95 percent of the town of 1,500 was destroyed.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday evening that the state's response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies, including tents, trucks and semi-trailers, is now in Iraq.

"Not having the National Guard equipment, which used to be positioned in various parts of the state, to bring in immediately is really going to handicap this effort to rebuild," said Sebelius.

The Kansas Guard has less than half of the equipment it is allotted because much of it has been sent to Iraq, said Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for the adjutant general's office, which manages state resources in emergencies.

"We are never at 100 percent because we are allocated a certain amount from the National Guard Bureau. With the war, we are much shorter than we would be. We have about 40 percent of what is allocated," Watson said.

On Sunday, the weather service posted tornado warnings during the afternoon for parts of Kansas and Oklahoma and severe thunderstorm warnings were extended across parts of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

US President George W. Bush on Sunday vowed to deliver federal aid to rebuild this town.

"I'm confident this community will be rebuilt. To the extent we can help, we will," the president said, in brief remarks after attending services at St. John's Episcopal Church.

"They said to me it's hard to describe how bad this community was hit. I have declared a major disaster for that community and I hope that helps," Bush said.

AK/BGH