Spotters reported tornadoes touched down late Wednesday in rural areas in Wabaunsee, Shawnee and Jackson counties in northeast Kansas, according to the National Weather Service’s Topeka office.
No injuries were reported.
Initial indications were that three tornadoes had touched down, and the National Weather Service was sending out teams Thursday to survey damage from each, said Sarah Teefey, meteorologist for the weather service’s Topeka office
Structural damage reported in Wabaunsee County and near Rossville
But at least six tornadoes and hail up to baseball size were reported starting around 8 p.m. Wednesday by trained spotters and sheriff’s office personnel in Wabaunsee County, with no cities being struck, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page.
“There has been damage reported to structures in the rural area,” that page said. “Officers are still making assessments at this time.”
Those twisters included a large tornado reported at 7:54 p.m. Wednesday to be on the ground near Volland, an unincorporated community about five miles southwest of Alma in Wabaunsee County.
Matt Flanagan, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Topeka office, said a rancher reported five barns were damaged near Volland,
A nearby house escaped being damaged, he said.
Damage was also reported to at least one structure near Rossville in northwest Shawnee County, Flanagan said.
The weather service’s Topeka office said tornadoes were reported to be on the ground at 8:39 p.m. near Rossville and at 9:07 p.m. near Hoyt in southwest Jackson County.
Sirens were sounded in areas that included Topeka to warn people of the storm that brought the tornado near Rossville.
Apparent tornado was Shawnee County’s first since 2019
The tornadoes came on an evening when severe storms and high winds swept through much of northeast Kansas, triggering a flurry of tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings.
The weather service’s Topeka office issued eight tornado warnings late Wednesday, Teefey said.
None of the storms passed through Topeka, though the weather service said the capital city subsequently saw 0.1 inches of rain reported early Thursday.
Wednesday’s tornado near Rossville appeared to have been Shawnee County’s first tornado since a twister measuring at EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale touched down just east of Rossville on May 21, 2019. Damage that day was confined to trees and power lines.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at [email protected] or 785-213-5934.
Sarah Wilson is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
