Tornadoes miss Wichita, hit western Kansas. Here’s where more severe weather is possible

There’s a possibility of severe weather in the Flint Hills and to the east of that Friday afternoon and into the evening, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Christian Williams.

“If there is a storm, it’s probably going to be severe,” the Wichita meteorologist said.

Early Friday morning, the severe weather was thought to be just east of Wichita but has since moved further east. The possible threat of severe weather comes the day after forecasters had thought the Wichita area could see tornadoes, egg-sized hail and damaging winds up to 70 mph.

But the severe weather didn’t hit anywhere in the Wichita area.

Williams said they think a combination of factors kept severe weather from hitting the Wichita area. Morning storms in the Oklahoma City area moved cooler weather to the Wichita area, preventing a cooler front from hitting what was expected to be warmer air here, he said. The collision of the warmer and cooler air can lead to severe weather.

Additionally, he said, the storms in the Oklahoma City area prevented moisture from around the Red River in Texas from moving into the area. The Oklahoma City area did see its expected severe weather, with tornadoes damaging multiple buildings, according to KFOR, which said Friday morning no injuries had been reported.

Western Kansas did see the severe weather that was forecast.

NWS Goodland science and operations officer Jeremy Martin said all but one of the tornadoes in the state hit their coverage area. The other tornado hit a few miles north of Ryus in Grant County. It lasted less than a couple of minutes.

There have been no reports of any injuries, he said.

Martin said NWS officials are surveying the tornadoes and damage Friday with hopes of having a report in the afternoon or evening. He estimates there were at least 10 tornadoes, with the bulk of them in Wallace County, where the most damage happened.

In Wallace County, Weskan Schools had its roof damaged, making the K-12 building unusable for now, according to Sheriff Marshall Unruh. The roughly 100 students will finish the final days of the school year remotely, he said.

Additionally, he said, a scoreboard was knocked over and newly purchased bleachers from a fundraiser were also heavily damaged. The bleachers were supposed to be used for Saturday’s graduation ceremony, which has now been moved to a church.

Around town, about 10 to 15 homes had damage. Some had structure damage but are still livable, he said, adding the other damage around town ranged from vehicles, roofs and broken windows to uprooted trees.