(ORDO NEWS) — The tornado that swept through part of Kansas destroyed or damaged dozens of homes and buildings, injured several people and left more than 6,500 people without power, officials said Saturday.
The alleged tornado passed through southeastern Wichita and Andover on Friday evening, officials said. Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said early Saturday that between 50 and 100 buildings were damaged in Sedgwick County, although it was not known how many buildings were damaged in Andover.
Russell said that in some areas houses “were completely destroyed.”
Officials said there were only a few cases of injury. Three people were injured in Sedgwick County, including one woman who was seriously injured.
Crews have already completed a secondary inspection of houses in Andover. According to Russell, there were completely destroyed houses and entire neighborhoods, but there were no serious injuries.
The mayor’s office suffered damage that hampered “some of our efforts,” Russell said. Other damaged buildings include Dr. Jim Farh’s YMCA in Andover and Prairie Creek Primary School.
National Weather Service field crews have been working to determine the extent and strength of the tornado, said Kevin Darmofal, a meteorologist at the Wichita office.
Flor and Aldo Delgado said they were praying in the basement of their Andover home when a tornado passed right over them, destroying their home and cars. The couple looked out the window and saw that a tornado was starting to form, so they headed to the basement.
“The lights started to flicker and eventually went out, and a minute after that the whole house started shaking and it was so loud. We felt that water was hitting our face and there was dust everywhere. that it was right above us,” said Aldo Delgado.
Flor Delgado said she heard their house falling apart, according to the Wichita Eagle.
“At that moment, I realized that there is absolutely nothing we can do. I knew that my husband felt it too, because he was calm and calmed me, but at some point he just started to lose his temper and cry. I I heard his voice crackle when he prayed,” she said.
When the tornado passed, the couple got out from under the rubble only in clothes. Their house, cars and personal belongings were gone.
“We weren’t even wearing wedding rings at the time,” Floor Delgado said.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has declared a state of emergency in the hardest hit areas. According to the announcement, state resources can be used to assist local governments in the recovery and recovery of affected areas across the state.
In addition to the tornado, major hail fell in several towns on the plains. Ball-sized hail was seen near Holbrook, Nebraska and Enterprise, Kansas, according to the National Weather Service and storm watchers.
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