The National Weather Service said straight line winds caused damage to trees and buildings during Sunday evening’s severe weather. The wind gusts from the storm were estimated at 72 miles an hour, but some peak gusts may have exceeded 90 miles an hour.
A tornado warning was issued for Harvey County when radar indicated rotation in a storm near Halstead, but no tornado was confirmed and the warning was canceled a short time later.
The Weather Service said Sunday’s event qualified as a derecho, a long-lasting line of damaging wind storms.
The cities of Burrton and Halstead declared local states of emergency on Monday, while Harvey County issued a verbal disaster declaration on Sunday night. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a state disaster declaration to allow state agencies to provide assistance to local communities.
South Halstead Road between U.S. Highway 50 and Southwest 30th Street was closed Monday afternoon to allow utility workers to work safely to reset power lines and poles. There was no timeline for the road to reopen.
The cities of Burrton, Halstead, Hesston and Newton have announced plans for debris clean-up in their communities over the coming days. Harvey County Emergency Management encourages residents to practice safe, smart handling of debris to avoid injury.
No injuries have been reported. The storm knocked down a number of trees, which blocked some city streets, and there were reports of property damage across the area.
[ photo: Storm damage at the Newton City-County Airport – from Harvey County Emergency Management ]
