Kansas Tornado Generated 165 MPH Winds; Over 1,000 Buildings Damaged

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The tornado that damaged more than more than 1,000 buildings in south-central Kansas generated winds up to 165 mph and carved a path of destruction nearly 13 miles long.

The National Weather Service said the tornado that caused extensive damage Friday mostly in the Wichita suburb of Andover and injured several people rated an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale it uses to assess tornadoes.

The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) urged those impacted by the tornado to work with their insurance company.

“Insurance adjusters are in the process of helping storm victims and the good news is that most severe weather-related events like tornadoes are covered under a homeowners, renters, automobile or commercial insurance policy,” said Hilary Segura, assistant vice president state government affairs for APCIA. “”Homeowners and renters insurance policies generally provide coverage for additional living expenses if a covered loss makes your home uninhabitable. The additional living expense provision of your policy may help pay for things like temporary housing, laundry services, restaurant meals, and more. Residents should also ask their insurer if their policy has coverage for expenses incurred while they are evacuated. Insurers plan for severe weather and are well prepared to assist homeowners immediately when contacted via their toll-free phone number, app or website.”

Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said that at least 300 to 400 buildings were destroyed by the storm as part of a total of 1,074 buildings that were damaged. The Weather Service said the tornado was on the ground for 21 minutes Friday evening.

Four people, including two firefighters who were responding to a call in Andover, were injured during the storm but their injuries were minor.

Russell said it will take years for Andover to recover from this storm.

“The city of Andover will be affected by this for years,” he said. “We still have scars from 1991 (EF-5 tornado). I’m so thankful this tornado was not as bad as that, but we will literally be doing this for years.”

By Sunday, utility crews had restored power to nearly all of the more than 15,000 customers who lost power during the storm. Evergy said less than 1,000 people still lacked power in the Wichita area Sunday morning.

In addition to the storm damage, the Oklahoma State Patrol said three University of Oklahoma meteorology students were killed in a car crash about 85 miles north of Oklahoma City in Oklahoma Friday evening as they returned from storm chasing in Kansas.