Published: July 8,2016
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback declared a state of emergency for Greenwood County Friday after a pair of tornadoes struck near the town of Eureka late Thursday, damaging multiple structures, including a nursing home. One tornado touched down on the northern end of town, while a second formed in a sparsely populated area northwest of the city.
The NWS has released preliminary ratings of EF2 for the funnel that moved through town and EF3 for the one that touched down northwest of town. A third tornado, rated EF1, also hit Greenwood County, Kansas, not far from the area where the EF3 was in progress.
"This line of thunderstorms didn't merely sweep through, but rather trained over parts of Kentucky and Tennessee like boxcars of a train moving over the same section of railroad track, bringing repeated rounds of heavy rain over one inch per hour," said weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.
(MORE: Where Additional Severe Weather Is Expected)
Some of the worst flooding was in the Land Between the Lakes region of southwest Kentucky and northwest Tennessee, where radar estimated 6 to 8 inches of rain had fallen, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a rare flash flood emergency for Stewart, northwest Cheatham and Montgomery Counties. A separate line of thunderstorms passed over the Northern Plains.
Kansas
A utility company employee snapped this photo of damage in Eureka, Kansas, a day after twin tornadoes touched down. (Westar Energy/Agent Leo Rhea)
A confirmed tornado moved into the town of Eureka late Thursday, damaging numerous buildings, including part of the Eureka Nursing Center.
Greenwood County Emergency Preparedness Director Levi Vinson told KSN that none of the nursing home's residents were injured, but some were moved to a safer part of the building, which has its own generator for power.
"They're going to stay in there the remainder of the night and in the morning they're going to move to a different facility," he said.
The governor's office indicated that approximately 50 homes and businesses were damaged, KWCH.com reports. Trees and power lines were also downed, making travel difficult for first responders who were going door to door to check on residents, KWCH.com also said.
Greenwood County Sheriff Rusty Bitler told the station that a large turnout of residents volunteered to help emergency personnel search.
No deaths or injuries had been reported as of early Friday morning.
Illinois
A kayaker had to be rescued Thursday after being trapped by a swollen creek near Belford Road in Saline County, Illinois, according to NWS. Trees were also reported down in the county, causing damage to homes and local power outages.
Tennessee
A state of emergency was declared by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Thursday. Officials say flash flooding heavily damaged homes in two counties and straight-line wind also downed trees and caused power outages in Nashville and northern and middle parts of the state.About 20 home were destroyed in Stewart county, along with a church and a daycare, the Associated Press reports. In Sumner County, 30 homes were reportedly damaged and four bridges sustained major damage.
According to TEMA, six counties encompassing Nashville and areas north to the Kentucky line were affected by locally heavy rainfall, that reached up to 8 inches in some locations.
(MORE: Summer's Thunderstorm Clusters are Heavy Rain Producers)
TEMA also reported swift water rescues in Stewart, Sumner, and Robertson counties as flood waters inundated homes and roadways, but said no deaths or injuries have yet been reported.
In Clarksville, Tennessee, a mother and her young child had to be rescued from their flooded home after the still rising water reached the mother's knees, Tennessean reports.
Floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes in the far northern Nashville suburbs of Gallatin and Springfield early Thursday. Numerous roads were flooded and closed in Sumner County, Tennessee.
In Big Rock, Tennessee, about 75 miles northwest of Nashville, flooding trapped residents in their homes.
North of Nashville, a family of four escaped their Millersville home unharmed when it caught fire after it was struck by lightning early
Thursday morning, WKRN reports. Heavy rains helped suppress the flames
but flooding in the area made fighting the fire a challenge.Floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes in the far northern Nashville suburbs of Gallatin and Springfield early Thursday. Numerous roads were flooded and closed in Sumner County, Tennessee.
In Big Rock, Tennessee, about 75 miles northwest of Nashville, flooding trapped residents in their homes.
NWS reports 1,000 Dyersburg Electric System customers were without power in the Cumberland Furnace area and another 1,300 were powerless in Dickson.
Kentucky
Gov. Matt Bevin declared a statewide emergency Thursday in response to the flooding.
“As always, our primary concern is safety,”
Bevin said in a statement. “This declared state of emergency gives
emergency management the resources they need to proactively respond to
local needs. We thank all of the officials working hard to minimize the
impact of this storm system. We urge all citizens to take the necessary
precautions needed to stay safe.”
The severe weather that struck the western parts of the state left thousands without power.West Kentucky Rural Electric reported about 1,600 customers without power as of Thursday afternoon. About 2,700 customers of Jackson Purchase Energy were also without electricity.
(MORE: View National Interactive Radar Map | Difference Between a Watch and a Warning)
Emergency management officials in Marshall County, Kentucky, reported that evacuations were underway at a mobile home park in Hardin early Thursday morning and that multiple agencies in the county were conducting water rescues.
Evacuations were ordered throughout Marshall County, Kentucky, including the city of Gilbertsville, where waist-high water reached the door of one mobile home.
Six people were trapped in an apartment due to flooding in Possum Trot, Kentucky. Flooding was also widespread in Christian County, Kentucky, including Hopkinsville. Water up to the roof of a vehicle was reported in Russellville.
Iowa
A stretch of Highway 65 blocked by downed trees and power lines south of Northwood Thursday after powerful storms swept the area with heavy rain and strong winds. Traffic had to be detoured onto 440th Street and Raven Avenue to Highway 470/105.The NWS reported extensive tree damage in Kossuth County and winds up to at least 50 mph through Clear Lake and Mason City.
PHOTOS: Plains, Midwest Mid-June 2016 Severe Weather and Flooding
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