‘Maybe three homes left’: Tornadoes leave destruction in two Kansas towns
Authorities were cleaning up Monday after tornadoes struck two Kansas towns — Grinnell and Plevna — on Sunday.
Grinnell, a city of just over 250 and 256 miles northwest of Wichita, was devastated, said Gove County Sheriff Shawn Mesch.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service office in Goodland rated the tornado as an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. At that level, considerable damage is expected, which includes roofs being torn off buildings, trees snapped or uprooted and cars being tossed, according to the NWS.
Wind speeds for an EF2 tornado average between 111 to 135 mph.
“Trees are de-leafed, power lines are snapped off, roof blown off Catholic church,” Mesch said in a phone call Monday. “There’s like maybe three homes left standing in the area.”
Roughly 15 to 20 homes were destroyed and the city has no power. Mesch said the power should come back on no later than Friday.
There were no reported injuries or deaths, just “bumps and bruises,” he said.
NWS survey crews are out assessing damage and gathering more information on the tornado and its path. The Goodland office said it expects to have a completed report later this week.
Kyle Knight, a lead forecaster at the NWS Goodland office, said the tornado formed from a storm that started in northeastern Kearney County, tracked across Scott County and entered Gove County.
Knight did not have the exact time the tornado hit Grinnell. Mesch said it was about 7 p.m.
Mesch said of the two tornado sirens in the town, one malfunctioned during the alert.
The American Red Cross is in Grinnell providing assistance and supplies to those affected.
“We’re coordinating with local officials to meet any community needs that arise for shelter, food, health services and other support,” a Red Cross spokesperson said. “Residents in need of assistance or information can call 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767), 24 hours a day.”
A portion of I-70 near Grinnell will be closed off for the rest of the week, the Kansas Department of Transportation said Monday.
“KDOT has closed the passing lanes on both eastbound and westbound I-70 between mile markers 82 and 87,” a KDOT news release said. “The closures are necessary for utility crews to complete repairs on downed power lines from severe weather on Sunday evening.”
How tornado affected Plevna
Nearly 200 miles southeast of Grinnell, another tornado struck the town of Plevna in western Reno County.
“Reno County is currently responding to the aftermath of a powerful tornado that touched down, causing significant damage on Sunday May 18, 2025,” a news release from the county said Monday.
A storm formed south of Greensburg in Kiowa County and entered western Reno County about 11:25 p.m., National Weather Service Wichita meteorologist William Iwasko said over the phone.
Based on radar indications, Iwasko said the tornado formed in Pratt County, which is between Kiowa and Reno County. A tornado emergency was declared for Plevna at 11:51 p.m. by the weather service. Plevna, with roughly 85 people, is 67 miles northwest of Wichita.
“The tornado touched down at approximately 11:50 p.m., moving through rural portions of the county, north of Turon” Reno County officials said. “It continued to the city of Plevna, damaging several homes, trees and utility poles. It continued to cause damage approximately 5 miles north and east of Plevna before dissipating.”
Iwasko said the storm dissipated at 12:15 a.m.
No injuries or deaths have been reported. Emergency responders, public works and utility crews are working to assess and clean up damage, the county said.
The NWS has a survey team gathering information about the storm and strength of the tornado.
“Their job [survey team] is to see how wide was the tornado damage that occurred, to try to estimate how big the tornado was, and then what its exact path actually was,” Iwasko said. “We should have those results, at least preliminary results, by this evening.”
Some roads in Reno County were closed, but all major highways were open. Residents were asked to avoid affected areas to allow crews to work.
“We are thankful the residents took shelter immediately when the tornado warnings were being issued,” Reno County said. “While the damage was extensive, we are relieved that no injuries or fatalities have been reported.”
Electric company Southern Pioneer Electric said storms knocked out at least 60 power poles in Kiowa and Pratt counties on Sunday, affecting roughly 1,400 customers. The company said it is working as fast as possible to restore power.
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 12:51 PM.