1 person killed, 22 homes destroyed in tornado near Westmoreland, Kansas on Tuesday

One person was killed when a tornado ripped through Westmoreland, Kansas, Tuesday evening.

Around 4:40 p.m., a tornado struck Westmoreland, a town about two hours northwest of Kansas City, as storms moved across eastern Kansas. At least 22 homes were destroyed and 13 others were damaged according to Pottawatomie County Public Information Officer Becky Ryan.

County officials and law enforcement are still assessing the damage. As of 8:30 p.m., at least four outbuildings and one commercial building were also damaged.

First-responders from multiple agencies near Pottawatomie County are conducting grid searches to catalog the damage and search for people who may have been injured.

“Those 22 homes are damaged to the point that they are unlivable,” Ryan said in an interview with The Star.

The name of the deceased individual is not being released pending notification of family. The victim’s age and gender were not provided.

“There is quite a bit of damage, but we are still assessing,” Ryan said. “Search and rescue operations have been under way for some time.”

Westmoreland, a town of about 730 people, saw extensive damage on its north side. There were downed power lines near the Public Works shops and damage at the Westmoreland Pool.

A curfew will begin at 9:30 p.m., and county officials are asking the public to shelter in place.

Severe thunderstorms made their way into the Kansas City metro Tuesday evening after several counties west of the metro were under tornado warnings.

The Kansas City metro was under a severe thunderstorm warning and some areas experienced strong winds, rain and hail.