(Wichita) A powerful tornado destroyed or damaged dozens of homes and buildings in Kansas, injured several people and knocked out 6,500 residents of power.
Posted at 3:51 p.m.
Officials said the tornado had moved into parts of southeast Wichita and Andover by Friday evening. Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell told a news conference early Saturday morning that 50 to 100 buildings were damaged in Sedgwick County.
Photo Amy Leiker, Associated Press
The towering tornado left behind a lot of damage.
Mr Russell claimed that in some neighborhoods homes “have been completely destroyed”.
Rescue teams have already circled the rubble in Andover. There are homes completely destroyed and entire neighborhoods wiped out, but no serious injuries, the fire chief said.
City Hall was also damaged, hampering “some of our efforts”, Mr Russell added.
National Weather Service crews worked Saturday to determine the extent and strength of the tornado, meteorologist Kevin Darmofal said.
Flor and Aldo Delgado said they prayed in the basement of their Andover home as a tornado swept overhead, destroying their home and cars.
The couple had taken refuge in the basement after looking out the window on Friday evening and seeing the tornado begin to form.
Photo Jaime Green, Associated Press
“The lights started flickering and eventually went out, and within a minute the whole house started shaking and it was so loud. We started to feel water hitting our faces, and there was just dust everywhere. It lasted what felt like a minute, when she was right above us,” Aldo Delgado recalled.
Flor Delgado said she could hear their house being torn apart as they prayed for their safety, the Wichita Eagle reported.
“At the time, I realized there was absolutely nothing we could do. I knew my husband felt it too because he was calm and comforting me, but at some point he started losing his mind and crying. I could hear his voice crack as he prayed,” she said.
After the tornado passed, the Delgados emerged from the rubble with only the clothes they were carrying on their backs. Their home, cars and personal items are all gone.
“We didn’t even have our wedding rings at that time,” Flor Delgado added.
State Governor Laura Kelly has declared a state of emergency for the hardest hit areas.
This makes state resources available to assist local jurisdictions in affected areas.
In addition to the tornadoes, large hail was reported in several towns in the region. According to the National Weather Service, hail the size of softballs has been spotted near Holbrook, Nebraska and Enterprise, Kansas.