…but that doesn’t mean the dire predictions for a tornado outbreak Thursday were wrong.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center recorded 34 tornado reports, including 11 in Kansas. The tornadoes simply happened north and west of the Wichita area. Tornadoes were also reported in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota and Colorado.
“I think we probably did dodge a bullet a little bit” in terms of tornadoes, Reno County Emergency Management Director Bill Guy said.
But Sylvia reported significant power outages and tree damage, and hail as large as golf balls broke windows and damaged cars in and around Hutchinson, he said. Power poles were flattened in Barton, Kingman, Harper and Sumner counties.
Hail as large as golf balls and winds of 100 miles an hour were reported in Kingman County, and wind gusts of more than 80 miles an hour were reported in Anthony and five miles south of Goddard. Rose Hill reported trees downed and houses damaged.
Tree and roof damage was also reported in Wichita, along with scattered power outages. But few could argue that the city emerged from the storms in much better shape than many feared as the outbreak loomed.
6 Comments
I’d much rather be warned about something awful that didn’t happen, than not be warned about something awful that does happen.
but if they keep calling for the end of the world everytime people stop listening
A valuable lesson — Even though we didn’t have a long track tornado go through the Wichita area, I am thankful for the advance warning. I actually thought about my own familiy’s storm preparedness. We have a basement and know you are supposed to go there but we didn’t have a tornado plan. Where would we go? What would we do? What would we take? In what order? What if there wasn’t time? My family talked about it and now we know. Before this event, I know we were not as prepared as we are now.
I’d rather know and keep any eye out! Thank you for the warnings. Even though it didn’t happen, when the sirens went off in South Wichita, I was able to “practice” getting my family (& pets) ready to take cover as we were walking in the door from work. Storm weather cover is always appreciated. KSN, KWCH & KAKE do a wonderful job - although they do tend to get a little wordy and repeat the same thing, but nonetheless, thanks guys! Keep up the good work.
Stop listening? Hey its better to be safe than sorry. If there would’ve been an outbreak and we weren’t warned, people like you would be complaining that we were not properly warned. Sorry, you live in a state that routinely has unpredictable severe weather during the spring months, deal with it and quit whinning.
Yes, The warnings are warranted, but the hysterics that particularly the tv weather readers go to is not.
Another thing -If they’re going to pound it into our heads that we should ‘take shelter’, ‘this is a dangerous storm’, ’stay away from doors and windows’, etc, etc,etc….Don’t have a crawl along the bottom of the screen saying “Send your ‘Stormshots’ to”…. -And don’t tell me they only want pictures of hail and storm damage after the fact. They know good and well that people will be out looking for the wedge.