GREENWOOD COUNTY— The National Weather Service says the tornado that ripped through the Kansas town of Eureka carried winds of at least 136 mph.
The weather service on Wednesday determined that the twister was an EF-3. The tornado touched down Tuesday in Eureka, a town of about 2,400 residents in southeastern Kansas.
Eight people were injured, two critically. Nearly 80 homes were damaged and at least 10 were destroyed. The high school also was damaged.
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GREENWOOD COUNTY —The State Emergency Operations Center continues to coordinate response to Eureka after an E-3 tornado struck the city on June 26. Security remained on-site overnight.
Governor Dr. Jeff Colyer traveled to Eureka Thursday to tour the damage. He visited with local authorities on the response and recovery efforts.
According to officials, 78 homes were damaged in the tornado. Ten are a total loss. Eight people were injured and two were critically injured.
Some pictures from my visit to Eureka: pic.twitter.com/5Cx21YfO1O
— Governor Jeff Colyer (@GovJeffColyer) June 28, 2018
On Thursday, volunteers began a city wide cleanup at 7 a.m. Volunteers should check in at the Matt Samuels Community Building before starting cleanup.
Westar Energy is reporting 2,800 customers still without power and they are actively working to restore power to all customers. Westar reports that in storms, sometimes the hardware that houses the electric meter and the wires that feed electricity into a home or business can become detached. This is the square metal box and connecting pole on the side of the house or building. If the hardware is damaged, Westar cannot reconnect the service line between the house and the power grid because it’s not safe. The homeowner is responsible for hiring an electrician to make these repairs before power can be restored to the residence.
The American Red Cross shelter remains open at the Methodist Church, 521 N. Main Street, and is also serving as a cooling station for residents. The Red Cross and Operation BBQ are providing mobile canteen operations on site. The American Red Cross is also providing cooling tents for volunteers on-site.