WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A powerful tornado-generating storm swept through southeast Kansas, resulting in at least one injury and widespread destruction.
Rick Whitson, Director of Emergency Preparedness for Montgomery County, confirmed that the injured individual was a man from Sycamore. First responders rescued him from debris, and he subsequently received medical attention at a hospital in Nodesha.
During Monday morning’s Montgomery County Commission meeting, the Montgomery County Chronicle reported the tornadic storm affected up to 170 properties, with significant harm to numerous residences.
The storm, which severely impacted Sycamore (located north of Independence), reportedly downed nine power lines along U.S. 75, triggering widespread power outages across southeast Kansas.
Officials from the National Weather Service in Wichita are currently on-site in Sycamore to evaluate the extent of the damage and ascertain the tornado’s strength.
During their Monday morning session, Montgomery County commissioners formally requested a disaster declaration by signing an official letter. Such a declaration from the governor would release state resources to aid in the storm’s aftermath and recovery efforts.
Outside the immediate Sycamore vicinity, the powerful Sunday night storm in southeast Kansas also led the Columbus school district in adjacent Cherokee County to cancel classes for Monday.
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