EF-2 Tornado Hits Hillsdale, Kansas; Governor Declares Emergency

0:00The National Weather Service just wrapped up their initial survey on that tornado that ripped through Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday evening. It was an EF-2 storm from a Supercell thunderstorm, packing winds up to 115 miles per hour over a path about 250 yards. Long, it touched down just east of Hillsdale Lake around 18 p.m., hitting a campground, an RV park, a home, and some storage buildings hard. This was actually the second tornado from that same Supercell following an EF-2 that tore up Ottawa just west of Hillsdale earlier that night. A few other twisters popped up across northeast Kansas too, catching folks off-guard with the sudden severe weather. Damage was rough, with around 100 buildings wiped out or messed up bad, nearly half too wrecked to live in. One person got hurt, but luckily, no fatalities. Miami County folks were picking through the debris Tuesday, dealing with the aftermath. Governor Laura Kelly stepped in quick, declaring a state of disaster emergency for the storms.

1:01Officials are still assessing everything, but a Red Cross shelter is up and running at the Hillsdale Learning Center to help those hit hardest. As cleanup ramps up in these rural spots, the focus stays on safety and support. Kansas weather like this reminds us to stay vigilant when those storms. I'm Corey with The Story, and you've been listening to Kansas News today, AI Power Local News.