ABILENE, Kan. (KAKE) –
A tornado that tore through Dickinson County Wednesday evening destroyed eight homes and heavily damaged 15 to 20 more.
The National Weather Service in Topeka said the tornado was an EF-4, estimating its peak wind at 180 miles-per-hour. It formed about five miles northwest of Solomon and dissipated approximately three miles southeast of Chapman.
The tornado was on the ground for a hour and a half and caused extensive damage to railroad tracks west of Chapman. The tracks are closed.
The Kansas Adjutant General’s Office said one home was destroyed and one suffered heavy damage in Ottawa County. There are no reports of serious injuries.
Dickinson County has opened a phone bank for individuals interested in volunteering. Please call (785) 263-4812 for details. At this time individuals are being asked to not self-deploy to the area.
Chapman Fire has requested 211 to set up virtual warehouse for large
donations of trucks and trailers.
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Previous stories by KAKE News:
A tornado damaged homes and flipped over a car in Dickinson County Wednesday night, as severe storms threatened KAKEland again.
A storm tracker reported at least 20 homes were damaged in a rural area north of I-70, a bit north of Chapman. Trooper Ben Gardner with the Kansas Highway Patrol said several damaged homes were checked, but no injuries have been discovered.
Gardner noted troopers found several families still secluded in their basements.
Emergency management personnel say railroad tracks were demolished by the tornado one mile west of Chapman. The police chief said a twister seemed to follow part of the Smoky Hill River, south of town.
But a church pastor in Chapman told KAKE News the town escaped a direct hit from the tornado. Brian Reeves of Grace Baptist Church said most of the damage was south and southwest of town. Power poles were reported down along Ring Road.
Ottawa County Emergency Management confirmed late Wednesday night at least two houses were destroyed near Abilene. There were no reports of injuries.
The National Weather Service had warned people to take cover as what it called a “catastrophic” tornado approached Chapman.
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka in response to the storm.
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A tornado destroyed at least one home five miles north-northwest of Abilene. Damage also was reported on amateur radio three miles north of Solomon.
The National Weather Service called a tornado in that area “large and extremely dangerous” at 7:27 p.m., five miles north of Solomon and moving east at 20 miles per hour.
A tornado also was confirmed in northeast Saline County Wednesday night. It was spotted seven miles northeast of New Cambria around 7:15 p.m. It was moving southeast at 15 miles per hour.
The first tornado of the evening was sighted in Ottawa County. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed there was storm damage, but the location and severity were not immediately clear.
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A tornado moved across part of Ottawa County Wednesday night, as another stormy night began across KAKEland.
A National Weather Service employee spotted a tornado on the ground for about one minute shortly after 6:00 p.m., three miles south of Minneapolis. There was no immediate word on its direction.
Golf ball-sized hail was also reported south of Minneapolis during the storm. There was no word of injuries or damage.
Posted: May 25, 2016 11:28 PM EST
Updated: Jun 07, 2016 5:36 PM EST
written by Associated PressPosted: May 25, 2016 11:28 PM EST
Photo: KAKE Ben Jordan @BenJordan3
