Hurricane Force Wind Hits Southern Kansas

Strong winds sweeping across Kansas have overturned a tractor-trailer, blown down a fireworks tent, toppled trees and caused electrical outages.

The National Weather Service reported hurricane-force winds of more than 80 mph Thursday in the Wichita area. The storms followed another round of severe weather Wednesday.

In Sedgwick County, emergency crews rescued the tractor-trailer driver who became pinned in his rig when it overturned on Kansas 42. The driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Further west in Goddard, a fireworks tent was blown down along U.S. 54.

The winds also blew down numerous power poles. Westar Energy reported more than 2,000 customers without power in Sedgwick County. The earlier round of storms left several thousand without power in in Ellis and Russell counties in western Kansas.