Terrible night
Staff and wire reports
Originally published 02:31 p.m., June 12, 2008
Updated 02:31 p.m., June 12, 2008
CHAPMAN — At least two people were killed late Wednesday when a line of tornadoes cut a diagonal swath across Kansas, destroying much of the small town of Chapman and causing extensive damage on the Kansas State University campus.
Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department, said one victim was a woman found outside in a yard in Chapman, in Dickinson County, and the other was a man found outside a mobile home in the Jackson County town of Soldier.
The most extensive damage from the tornado outbreak appeared to be in Chapman, a town of about 1,400 east of Abilene in north-central Kansas.
Brad Homman, director of administration and emergency services for Dickinson County, said this morning that about 100 homes were destroyed or damaged when the twister struck around 10:30 p.m. He had previously reported that the tornado hit at 8:20 p.m.
“We have no electricity or water or gas at this point,” Hammon told reporters in a briefing. “It may be days before it’s restored.”
Three critically injured residents were at Geary Community Hospital in nearby Junction City, while dozens of what Homman called “walking wounded” suffered cuts, bruises, scrapes and broken bones.
Homman also confirmed the fatality there, but couldn’t provide the victim’s name until next of kin had been notified.
Electricity was out all over town, and Homman said the search continued for other possible victims.
“We’re still going through methodically one residence at a time,” he said.
Bob Diehl, a retired maintenance supervisor for school district, opened a storm shelter in the school gymnasium that has four concrete-walled locker rooms.
About 10 minutes later, about 100 people seeking refuge from the storm were huddled in the shelter when the twister hit.
“People were hollering and screaming, and kids were crying. Dogs were yipping,” Diehl said. “It was something I hope I never have to go through again.”
Watson said a shelter had been established in Abilene and victims were taken there by bus.
A tornado also hit the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, damaging several campus buildings and tossing cars around in parking lots. Several local businesses also received extensive damage, according to the National Weather Service.
Storm damage at the university was estimated to exceed $20 million, according to Tom Rawson, vice president for administration and finance.
Today’s classes were canceled, while freshman orientation and enrollment are still planned but will be held at Bramlage Coliseum starting at 8:30 a.m. School vice president Bob Krause said several buildings are without power, and debris litters the campus.
In Manhattan, Judy Stubblefield, a math instructor at Garden City Community College, huddled during the storm with other teachers in the basement of a residence hall on the northeast side of campus.
When they emerged they saw debris everywhere. It was the third time in a week-and-a-half severe weather has sent them into the basement, they said.
Holly York, a recent Kansas State graduate, ended up in the basement of her house on the northeast side of campus, where she said she felt thunder shake the building.
“I had a crank radio,” she said. “We had blankets and pillows over us.”
University police were requesting that people stay away from campus overnight because of downed power lines, trees and branches, and areas that had flooded.
Still, Pat Bosco, associate vice president of institutional advancement and dean of student life, said orientation and enrollment would go on as scheduled this morning.
Harding said search-and-rescue efforts were taking place in several small towns in the path of the storm.
Farther west, the Weather Service said several livestock were killed near Ellsworth by baseball- to softball-sized hail.
Local emergency crews could be called in to help. Rick Frevert, of Lyon County Emergency Management, said the county could send a team to help with affected areas. During this morning’s Lyon County Commission meeting, Frevert said Topeka was sending a search and rescue team to Manhattan and Chapman.
“Chapman, a small community, is extremely damaged,” Frevert said.
Frevert said Lyon County needs to wait for a tasking number from the state before it can send a team.
“We have to get a tasking number or we are breaking the rules,” he said. “As far as requests go we don’t know what they are going to be.”