Storms spawn tornadoes in Midwest
ST. LOUIS — Strong storms caused damage in parts of the middle U.S. Tuesday and spawned tornadoes in Kansas and Iowa, including one that left two people hurt.
An EF-1 tornado touched down shortly after 6 a.m. near Richland, Kan., the National Weather Service said. The twister reached speeds of up to 100 mph and was on the ground for about 20 minutes, the service said.
Two people were injured when their RV flipped over during the tornado. Details about the injuries were not immediately available.
In central Iowa, several buildings were damaged after a tornado touched down in Dallas County. The weather service also reported ping pong ball-sized hail in Bloomfield. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Thunderstorms were expected in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Some isolated storms were also possible in the mid-South, the weather service said.
In Missouri, Chicago-bound American Eagle Flight 3661 returned to Kansas City International Airport just before 6 a.m., soon after it took off, due to a possible lightning strike, American Airlines spokesperson Gianna Urgo said in an email. Maintenance workers were inspecting the aircraft to see if it was damaged. Passengers were later put on other flights, Urgo said.
Downed trees and power lines were reported in several communities near Kansas City.