Deadly Tornadoes Hit KC Metro Area
1 Fatality Reported In Wyandotte County
POSTED: 4:16 pm CDT May 4,
2003
UPDATED: 7:38 am CDT May 5,
2003
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Powerful tornadoes hit the Kansas City area Sunday afternoon, killing one person and injuring several other people.
In some places, the swath of destruction was one-quarter mile wide. Damage was reported in Miami, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties in Kansas and Platte, Clay, Cass and Johnson County in Missouri.The largest tornado first touched down west of Bonner Springs in Wyandotte County, Kan., around 3:30 p.m., said Lynn Maximuk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Mo.
KMBC 5 p.m. anchorman Kris Ketz's own home was damaged by the tornado. He said that he and his family were celebrating a birthday when the tornado hit. Everyone was in the basement. No one was hurt. Ketz (pictured, left) said that there is extensive damage to his home and to other homes in his neighborhood."My neighborhood is just gone. But everybody is OK -- they did what they were supposed to do," Ketz said.In Liberty, Mo., officials have declared a state of emergency. KMBC reported that all major access routes have been closed. Residents are urged to stay in their homes as emergency crews work their way through the debris.
The tornado also hit part of William Jewell College (pictured, right) in Liberty and damaged some of the buildings. KMBC reported that finals were canceled for the week.Officials with Johnson County, Kan., Med Act said that they were sending five ambulances to help Wyandotte County emergency crews cover the disaster.At Kansas City International Airport, officials stopped all flights and evacuated the terminals. Passengers were ushered into underground tunnels leading to parking garages. After about 30 minutes, the passengers were allowed to leave.Missouri Gov. Bob Holden told KMBC's Maria Antonia that he has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a complete review of the damage.Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has declared seven counties disaster areas: Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, and Neosho in southeast Kansas, and Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in northeast Kansas.
69th Street and Parallel Parkway
Kansas Speedway Interstate 29 and 64th Street in the Northland Tracy, Mo. Downtown Liberty, Mo.The Salvation Army is providing meals and drinks to emergency workers and storm victims in the area. To help with relief or to make in a donation, call (800) SAL-ARMY, or visit their Web site.The Unified Government Of Wyandotte County, Kan., has set up a shelter at the Eisenhower Recreational Center, which is located at 2702 N. 72nd St. There is also an emergency hot line that residents can call -- (913) 573-6311.The Red Cross has set up shelters at the Liberty Community Center, Riverside Community Center, and at Grover Park Baptist Church in Warrensburg, Mo. A Johnson County, Mo., emergency management director said that four to five homes were destroyed by the tornado.
Kansas City Power & Light reported that 33,000 customers north of the Missouri River were without power. By 6:45 a.m. Monday, a spokesman reported that only about 1,000 customers were without power. To report an outage online, click here. Aquila reported that 7,000 of its customers were without power at the height of the storm. By Monday, only 2,700 were without electricity.Donate To The Salvation Army Red Cross Of Greater Kansas City
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KMBC 5 p.m. anchorman Kris Ketz's own home was damaged by the tornado. He said that he and his family were celebrating a birthday when the tornado hit. Everyone was in the basement. No one was hurt. Ketz (pictured, left) said that there is extensive damage to his home and to other homes in his neighborhood."My neighborhood is just gone. But everybody is OK -- they did what they were supposed to do," Ketz said.In Liberty, Mo., officials have declared a state of emergency. KMBC reported that all major access routes have been closed. Residents are urged to stay in their homes as emergency crews work their way through the debris.The tornado also hit part of William Jewell College (pictured, right) in Liberty and damaged some of the buildings. KMBC reported that finals were canceled for the week.Officials with Johnson County, Kan., Med Act said that they were sending five ambulances to help Wyandotte County emergency crews cover the disaster.At Kansas City International Airport, officials stopped all flights and evacuated the terminals. Passengers were ushered into underground tunnels leading to parking garages. After about 30 minutes, the passengers were allowed to leave.Missouri Gov. Bob Holden told KMBC's Maria Antonia that he has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a complete review of the damage.Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has declared seven counties disaster areas: Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, and Neosho in southeast Kansas, and Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties in northeast Kansas.Shelters:
KMBC reported that the Salvation Army has set up shelters at the following locations:69th Street and Parallel Parkway
Kansas Speedway Interstate 29 and 64th Street in the Northland Tracy, Mo. Downtown Liberty, Mo.The Salvation Army is providing meals and drinks to emergency workers and storm victims in the area. To help with relief or to make in a donation, call (800) SAL-ARMY, or visit their Web site.The Unified Government Of Wyandotte County, Kan., has set up a shelter at the Eisenhower Recreational Center, which is located at 2702 N. 72nd St. There is also an emergency hot line that residents can call -- (913) 573-6311.The Red Cross has set up shelters at the Liberty Community Center, Riverside Community Center, and at Grover Park Baptist Church in Warrensburg, Mo. A Johnson County, Mo., emergency management director said that four to five homes were destroyed by the tornado.
Power Outages:
Kansas City Power & Light reported that 33,000 customers north of the Missouri River were without power. By 6:45 a.m. Monday, a spokesman reported that only about 1,000 customers were without power. To report an outage online, click here. Aquila reported that 7,000 of its customers were without power at the height of the storm. By Monday, only 2,700 were without electricity.Additional Resources:
Copyright 2007 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
