by Mary Rupert
Some Wyandotte County residents are cleaning up this morning after a storm on Monday night resulted in tree limbs down across the area.
The Bethel neighborhood was particularly hard hit by trees down, with one tree across the road closing 81st Street near Roswell Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.
Matt May, Wyandotte County emergency management director, said early reports are that some trees and power lines were down in Wyandotte County. Power was out to about 5,000 to 6,000 people last night, but that was quickly narrowed to 2,000 by 11 p.m. Monday, he added, and power was still out this morning at an estimated 1,500 homes.
“We fared a little better than our brothers to north, and especially Oak Grove,” May said. “We got very lucky last night.”
Most of the damage in the metropolitan area was on either side of Wyandotte County, he said. It is believed that a tornado hit Oak Grove, Missouri, leaving significant damage. Also, Johnson County Executive Airport was damaged by the storm, with more than 10 airplanes affected, May said. The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department crews assisted the airport last night in handling fuel spills from the damage, he said.
He said there were significant straight line winds here, although he doesn’t think that there was a tornado in Wyandotte County. Winds were at least 40 to 50 mph, with the storm moving in excess of 65 mph, he added.
The emergency management office is assessing damage this morning, he said. So far, it appears it’s mostly tree, wind and hail damage, and some window damage in Wyandotte County, he said. There was also significant lightning in the area.
A statewide tornado drill test is still planned for 10 a.m. today, he said. He is asking people to go through their normal tornado routine, finding shelter in the lowest area of a structure, during the drill today whether they are at home, in school or at work.