Speculation that damage in Salina Wednesday night was caused by straight-line winds can be shelved: a damage assessment survey by the National Weather Service determined that the city was hit by an EF3 tornado that touched down just west of I-135 and just south of the Salina Airport at about 9:40 p.m.
The tornado moved northeast along the southeast outskirts of Salina, damaging several homes, outbuildings, trees and power lines. Damage near the intersection of East Shilling Road and South Holmes Road was rated EF3, meaning the tornado had winds of between 136 and 165 miles an hour.
The tornado continued east of Salina, inflicting EF2 damage near Crawford Street and Whitmore Road. The tornado eventually crossed into Dickinson County, just south of Solomon, before dissipating.