Feb 28, 2023

NWS: Tornado in southwest Kansas rated EF0

Posted Feb 28, 2023 11:15 AM
Path of Sunday's tornado-image courtesy National Weather Service
Path of Sunday's tornado-image courtesy National Weather Service

SEWARD COUNTY—A line of fast moving thunderstorms produced widespread wind damage during the late afternoon and early evening hours Sunday in southwest Kansas. This included a short-lived tornado near Liberal.

The National Weather Service preliminary damage survey of the tornado indicates an EF-0 tornado with wind speeds at 85 miles per hour.

The tornado started just after 4:40 p.m., on the south side of Liberal. It moved quickly northeast through a housing development and trailer park, according to the report from the National Weather Service. The most extensive damage occurred to a house  and adjacent outbuilding where garage door failures resulted in uplift of a portion of the roof deck. 

 A 345-kv transmission line belonging to Sunflower Electric, the  power supplier for Wheatland Electric that was damaged in Sunday's storms-photo courtesy Wheatland Electric
 A 345-kv transmission line belonging to Sunflower Electric, the power supplier for Wheatland Electric that was damaged in Sunday's storms-photo courtesy Wheatland Electric

There were reports of nine tornadoes in Kansas, Oklahoma and northwestern Texas, according to Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster for the weather service. There were no injuries reported in Kansas.

-80 mph winds in Haskell County in southwest Kansas caused damage Sunday night.-photo courtesy Thunder Strike Bowling in Sublette
-80 mph winds in Haskell County in southwest Kansas caused damage Sunday night.-photo courtesy Thunder Strike Bowling in Sublette

In Finney County, U.S. 50 from Holcomb to Anderson Road in both directions is closed as crews repair downed power lines from the storm. Tyson employees, other motorists are advised they cannot take the highway to the plant.