Kansas Tornado Causes Damages in Homes, Cars in Wichita

Staffers at the YMCA in Andover, Kansas told dozens of people to take shelter in their locker rooms, kneel down and shield their heads, then after, they heard a noise similar to a freight train.

As specified in The Weather Channel, an EF3 tornado roared through on Friday evening. Morgan Hamlin, who has been swimming in the pool said it just shook the building.

She added, it sort of "had like a high-pitched whine, as well. The occurrence was just 30 seconds but was a half-minute "hell because you're sitting there," thinking if the building was going fall down on top of her.

Essentially, the "Y" sustained heavy damage. A portion of the roof was torn off, water poured from pipes, windows smashed, and cars, including Morgan's, flung into the building from the parking lot.

Classification: 'EF3 Tornado'

The said twister touched down in Easter County southeast of Wichita. It then moved northeast to near Andover, a neighborhood 10 miles east of Wichita between 8:10 and 8:31 pm Friday. Photos and videos uploaded on social media exhibited extensive damage to homes, as well as other buildings.

Moreover, the tornado was classified as an "EF3 tornado," as reported on NOAA's News Weather Service's website, with winds of approximately 136 mph n a survey on Saturday. Added surveying may be carried out on Sunday.

Andover is sitting close to the line between Sedgwick and Butler counties, Damage was also reported in both counties.

It was approximated yesterday morning that at least 50 to 100 homes were damaged, said a dispatcher for the Butler County Sheriff's Office.

No Fatalities Reported

A related Verified News Explorer Network report said that according to Chad Russell, Andover Fire Chief, no one was killed, nor severely injured by the tornado there. An individual was trapped in a building although a rescue initiative was underway.

On the other hand, a video shot on Saturday morning showed homes with walls and roofs missing. A person living close to YMCA, Mandy Fouse, rushed to her two children to their basement's backroom as the tornado raced through their neighborhood.

Andover, Not a Stranger to Strong Tornadoes

Andover is not a stranger t strong tornadoes. In 1991, the town was hit by an F5 tornado. It killed 13 individuals in a mobile home park, plus four others, and this outbreak resulted in $300 million in damage. It injured 200 people, as well.

Many other tornadoes touch down Friday as well, throughout the other portions of Kansas and Nebraska as a large system swept eastern from Central Rockies into the Midwest.

Over 20,000 customers were powerless in Kansas as of Friday night. The figure had declined to roughly 2,300 by Saturday morning.

Roughly 70 miles north of Wichita, two homes were damaged by a probable tornado close to Herington, Kansas.

Tornadoes were reported in Wamego, Kansas as well, and close to Stamford, Nebraska, and anywhere across eastern Kansas although small damage has been reported.

Report about the Kansas tornado is shown on USA Today's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Weather in Science Times.