Storms hit southeast Kansas
A powerful storm with tornado-strength winds destroyed more than tree limbs, roofs and several buildings throughout southeast Kansas.
It toppled history.
Mary Pouch, Cherokee, has one tree uprooted in her front yard and another tree in the yard is split in two. But her thoughts are mostly about the park across the street.
Her father once played on a tree in that park. Her father then grew up and took care of the park. He was named park ranger, and later the park was named after him: Albert Pouch Park.
Albert Pouch died about two years ago at the age of 96. The tree he once played on and helped care for lay toppled in the park, the victim of an early-morning thunderstorm that rumbled through southeast Kansas.
But the park in Cherokee was not the only casualty of the storm Friday morning.
As of 5:15 p.m. Friday, 2,307 Westar service members were without power in Crawford County, including parts or all of Frontenac, Cherokee, McCune, Hepler, Mulberry, Franklin and Pittsburg.
The Empire District Electric Company reported that at the height of the storm, more than 83,000 were without power in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri. By 4 p.m., the number was down to 71,000 without power. The hardest hit areas were the Baxter Springs and Webb City, Mo., areas.
