Kansas Tornado Kills One, Hurts 26
HOISINGTON, Kan. -A tornado ripped through this central Kansas town
Saturday night, killing one person, damaging some 400 homes and shearing the
roof off a hospital.
At least 26 people were injured, three critically, authorities said.
Duane Koester said his house was the only one left standing in his
neighborhood.
"Right where I'm at, when I look west, there's not a thing standing,"
he said. "It's down to rubble. Trees are down to sticks."
Koester said his family was watching weather reports when "all of a
sudden we hear this roar. I said 'That don't sound great, something's wrong.
Let's get to the basement quick.' Ten seconds later it hit."
The town of about 3,000 people was without power and most telephone
service after the tornado hit about 9:15 p.m.
Although broadcasters warned of possible tornadoes and sheriff's
deputies were watching for it, the town's sirens didn't sound until after
the tornado hit, Barton County Sheriff Buck Causey said.
City Manager Allen Dinkel said the tornado cut a swath about three
blocks wide through much of the town, located about 100 miles northwest of
Wichita.
"We're trying to evaluate the situation, but on the surface it looks
like 20 percent of the town has major, major damage," he said.
Dinkel and his wife arrived in town Saturday night after attending a
wedding but weren't able to return to their house, which he was told had
been damaged.
"I'm told the house two west of mine, across the street, is gone," he
said.
A state damage assessment team found over 100 homes that had major
damage, and 300 others had some type of damage, said Joy Moser, a
spokeswoman for the Kansas adjutant general's office.
Emergency officials went door to door to check for injured or missing
residents, Moser said.
The town grocery store, the Dairy Queen restaurant and several homes
were damaged, said the Rev. Paula Bell, pastor of the First Christian
Church.
Students attending their prom at the Knights of Columbus hall were
taken to the basement until the storm passed, said Luke Brown, editor of the
Hoisington Dispatch. None of the students was injured.
The tornado ripped the roof off Clara Barton Hospital. Patients were
evacuated and the hospital closed.
Dozens of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued
throughout northwest and north-central Kansas. In Lincoln County, a tornado
touched down between Lincoln and Beverly. Some structural damage was
reported but no injuries.
At Hays, hundreds of Boy Scouts camping at Fort Hays State University
were moved to the basements of Gross Memorial Coliseum and the Memorial
Union as a precaution.
For more stories on this goto
http://www.stormdamage.com/
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