From the Associated Press April 30, 2022, 5:50 p.m. • 3 minutes reading Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Email this article WITSITA, CAN – A tornado that swept through parts of Kansas destroyed or destroyed dozens of homes and buildings, injuring several people and leaving more than 6,500 people without power, officials said Saturday. Officials said the suspected whirlwind moved to areas of southeastern Wichita and Andover on Friday night. Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell told a news conference early Saturday morning that 50 to 100 buildings had been damaged in Sedgwick County, although it was not immediately clear how many buildings were damaged in Andover. Russell said that in some neighborhoods the houses were “completely packed”. Officials said only a few injuries were reported. In Sedgwick County, three people were injured, including a woman who was seriously injured. The crews have already completed a minor home search in Andover. There are houses that have been completely demolished and entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, but there are no serious injuries, Russell said. City Hall was also damaged, which hampered “some of our efforts,” Russell said. Other buildings allegedly damaged include Dr. Elementary School. Jim Farha Andover YMCA and Prairie Creek Elementary School. National Meteorological Service field crews worked Saturday to determine the extent and strength of the swivel, meteorologist Kevin Darmofal told the Wichita office. Flor and Aldo Delgado said they prayed in the basement of their Andover home as a tornado passed just above them, destroying their home and cars. The couple looked out the window on Friday night and saw the tornado begin to form, so they headed to the basement. “The lights started to flicker and finally went out, and within a minute then the whole house started shaking and it was so loud. We started to feel water hitting our faces and there was dust everywhere. “It lasted for a minute that was just above us,” said Aldo Delgado. Flor Delgado said she could hear their house being ransacked as they prayed for their safety, the Wichita Eagle said. “It simply came to our notice then that we could do absolutely nothing. I knew that my husband felt it too because he was calm and comforting me, but at some point he started to lose it and cry. “I could hear his voice popping as he prayed,” he said. As soon as the tornado passed, the couple managed to get out of the wreckage with only their clothes on their backs. The house, cars and their personal belongings are gone. “We were not even wearing our wedding rings at the time,” added Flor Delgado. Gov. Laura Kelly has declared a state of emergency for the worst-hit areas. The statement makes state resources available to assist local jurisdictions with response and recovery efforts in affected areas across the state. In addition to the tornadoes, there was heavy hail in many cities on the plains. Soft-ball-sized hail was found near Holbrook, Nebraska, and the Kansas Enterprise, according to the National Weather Service and local storms.
