Tornado Tears Through Kansas Town

A tornado ripped through this central Kansas town Saturday night, killing one person, damaging about 400 homes and shearing the roof off a hospital.

At least 26 people were injured, three critically, authorities said.

Duane Koester said his house was the only one left standing in his neighborhood.

“Right where I’m at, when I look west, there’s not a thing standing. It’s down to rubble. Trees are down to sticks,” he said.

Koester said his family was watching weather reports when “all of a sudden we hear this roar. I said: ‘That don’t sound great. Something’s wrong. Let’s get to the basement.’ Ten seconds later it hit.”

The town of about 3,000 people was without power and most telephone service after the tornado hit about 9:15 p.m.

Although broadcasters warned of possible twisters and sheriff’s deputies were watching for them, the town’s sirens didn’t sound until after the tornado hit, Barton County Sheriff Buck Causey said.

City Manager Allen Dinkel said the tornado cut a three-block-wide swath through much of the town, about 100 miles northwest of Wichita.

“We’re trying to evaluate the situation, but on the surface it looks like 20% of the town has major, major damage,” he said.

A state assessment team found more than 100 homes with major damage, and 300 others had some type of damage, said Joy Moser, a spokeswoman for the Kansas adjutant general’s office.

Students attending their prom at the Knights of Columbus hall were taken to the basement until the storm passed, said Luke Brown, editor of the Hoisington Dispatch. None of the students was injured.

The tornado ripped the roof off Clara Barton Hospital. Patients were evacuated, and the hospital was closed.

Dozens of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued throughout northwestern and north-central Kansas.

Hundreds of Boy Scouts camping at Fort Hays State University were moved to the basements of Gross Memorial Coliseum and the Memorial Union as a precaution.