AccuWeather's Cory Mottice went out storm chasing in the Plains on Saturday and snapped this image of the first tornado produced by the storm that eventually went through Wichita, Kansas.
Image: Cory Mottice, Accuweather
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Update: Originally, the storms were reported to have killed five people. On Monday morning, Rob Marciano at CNN tweeted that a sixth victim from Woodward, Ok. died from injuries.
Tornadic thunderstorms ravaged parts of the Plains Saturday and Saturday night, killing six people and leaving behind incredible destruction.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, over 100 tornadoes were reported from Oklahoma through Kansas, Nebraska and southern Iowa on Saturday.
The deadliest of the tornadoes ravaged the town of Woodward, Oklahoma, where six people were killed and 30 injured.
The tornado ripped through the northwest side of the city, destroying or damaging dozens of homes.
Another tornado tore through the southern portion of Wichita, Kan., causing significant damage but no major injuries.
Wichita, Mid-Continent Airport recorded a wind gust of 84 mph just after the control tower evacuated.
Damage was recorded at the Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems plants. Six buildings at Spirit Aerosystems were heavily damaged while four others had major damage.
According to the Kansas City Star, damage in the Wichita area is estimated at as much as $283 million.
A tornado ripped through the town of Thurman, Iowa, Saturday evening, destroying around 75 percent of the town.
Amazingly, no major injuries were reported, but the remainder of the town is without power and has been evacuated until further notice.
Other notable storm reports from Saturday and Saturday night:
-Road signs were destroyed by a tornado near New Cambria, Kan., Saturday evening.
-Outbuildings, power lines, and gas tanks were damaged or destroyed near Talmage, Kan., Saturday evening.
-Campers and farm outbuildings were damaged in a tornado near New Virginia, Iowa, Saturday evening.
-Multiple homes destroyed or damaged near Conway Springs, Kan., Saturday night.
-Hen egg-sized hail damaged a law enforcement vehicle near Spalding, Neb., around midday Saturday.
-Three-inch diameter hail was reported near Petersburg, Neb., early Saturday afternoon.
-Quarter-sized hail covered the ground near Ringgold, Neb., Saturday afternoon.
-Two to three inches of hail accumulated near Stapleton, Neb., Saturday afternoon.
-Two aircrafts were damaged Saturday night at the Moline Quad-City Airport in Illinois.
-Hail two and a half inches in diameter was reported in North Platte, Neb., Saturday evening.
-Baseball-sized hail was reported just east of Dodge City, Kan., Saturday night.
-Tennis ball-sized hail was reported near Greensburg, Kan., Saturday night.
-Softball-sized hail fell near Randolph, Kan., Saturday night.
-A 74-mph wind gust was recorded at the Russell Airport in Russell, Kan., Saturday afternoon.
-Six homes were damaged in Nebraska City, Neb., by damaging winds Saturday evening.
-A 97-mph wind gust was reported at the Oskaloosa Airport in Iowa Saturday night.
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1 Comments
Add CommentIn these days of camera phones (I think even in rural communities & on farms), it would be nice if reports of softball sized hail stones and accumulations of hail inches deep could be accompanied by photographs. Not that I distrust these reports, but I grew up in TX, OK & KS & never saw hail more than .25" in dia. or an accumulation more than partially covering of the surface. Photos would provide more compelling evidence.
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