The National Weather Service says a quarter-mile-wide tornado cut through parts of Wabaunsee County on Wednesday evening.
The damage survey says the tornado touched down about three miles east of Alta Vista around 7:45 pm and tracked to the northeast for about 30 minutes, narrowly missing Volland in the process. It ultimately dissipated in a field about four miles northeast of Volland.
The tornado was rated at EF-2 intensity with peak winds of up to 115 mph, damaging some rural buildings near Volland in the process. It was on the ground for nearly nine miles.
This tornado was the only one confirmed by Weather Service damage assessment teams. The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office says there were as many as six tornadoes in the county Wednesday. The Weather Service initially was looking for three tornadoes, then trimmed the potential number to two after tracking radar and confirmed one after looking at the continuous damage path. The Weather Service says the discrepancy could also be from several reports of the same tornado from different angles and different distances.
