Looters followed tornado into devastated areas of Andover, prompting more security

Looters swarmed in after the tornado swept through Andover on Friday night, Andover police Lt. Mike Shinert said Saturday.

He said he responded to a call around 9:30 a.m. Saturday from the Dr. Jim Farha Andover YMCA director that the tornado-stricken building was being ransacked.

As he pulled up, roughly 10 people dropped items and took off, he said.

There was also looting in the Reflection Lake neighborhood where the EF-3 tornado destroyed homes.

No one had been arrested yet for looting, Shinert said.

He said local police, including from Wichita, will be monitoring those areas Saturday night and for the foreseeable future.

Officers will have to monitor looting in a few-mile stretch where the tornado caused damage.

The tornado rolled through the area after 8 p.m. Friday. It destroyed more than 300 to 400 homes and other buildings but injured just a few people, according to Andover fire chief Chad Russell.

Video posted on social media and shared with The Eagle showed the then-occupied YMCA sustained heavy damage. A roof partially collapsed and multiple vehicles were thrown into the building.

The elementary school also had significant damage, according to City Administrator Jennifer McCausland.

“All of the front offices’ glass is completely gone, the roof has substantial damage,” she said. “They took on a lot of water because the roof was damaged so badly and then it rained so hard. It’s pretty substantial.”

This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 6:41 PM.