Storms Roar Through Area

Severe storms roared through Kansas Tuesday night, dropping over a dozen tornadoes in Southwest Kansas and a possible microburst in Salina.

An official says an unknown number of people were injured amid severe storms in western Kansas.

KAKE reported that at least two homes were destroyed by a large tornado in the Dodge City area  and a home southeast of the town of Ensign was heavily damaged as well. Ford County, Kansas, emergency personnel say two people are in critical condition from injuries from tonight’s storms. Downed power lines left nearly two-thousand homes and businesses in the Dodge City area without electricity.

Gilbert says residential structures were damaged and says the county’s landfill building was destroyed.

Crews were searching homes Tuesday night to make sure everyone is accounted for.

At one point a “Tornado Emergency” was declared for Dodge City.

Tornadoes were reported in several Kansas counties. A meteorologist in the Dodge City office of the National Weather Service says crews will be surveying several areas Wednesday.

When the storms reached Central Kansas the tornado threat had lessened, but they still packed a punch. Wind of 62-miles-per-hour was clocked at the Salina Regional Airport. A possible microburst impacted a small area of Central Salina. A large tree was blown down at the corner of 9th and Washington, totally blocking 9th street. Other large limbs were down in a several block area as well, including a large limb that fell on a car on South College Street.

 

A possible microburst impacted Salina. A large tree down at 9th and Washington totally blocking 9th Street. Photo by Jeff Haines

A possible microburst impacted Salina. A large tree down at 9th and Washington totally blocking 9th Street. Photo by Jeff Haines

 

Large tornado on the ground southwest of Dodge City. Photo by Raquel Sharp via social media

Large tornado on the ground southwest of Dodge City. Photo by Raquel Sharp via social media