Reports of approximately 90 Tornados hit Kansas yesterday and last night around 10:00 p.m..  “My home town of Oxford was missed by 10 miles.” reported one Facebook user this morning.  SE Whichita had been hit by one tornado that started in Oklahoma and laast 200 miles.

The Kansas State EOC Center had been activiated around 1:25 a.m. by the State Governor.  Those who are concerned with loved ones, damage or any other information, are urged to contact the EOC Management Center at 785-274-1409.

The Kansas State EOC and other Agencies are estimated (preliminary) damage already to be around $283 Million Dollars.  No deaths were reported but 5 were reported in other States associated with this Tornado.

One tweet last night stated that the Boeing Plant was heavily damaged tossing the 777 fuselage around like tinker toys.  All employees were escorted and no injuries were reported.  These fuselages were bound for Seattle, Washington.

Damage reported at the McConnel AirForce Base on the West Side of the 184th Air Intelligence Wing was serious.  Guardsmen were seen this morning cleaning up debris.

The Sprint Aero System’s Plant has most of their buildings damaged with (6) signifantly; (4) with major damage.  All on-duty employees were accounted for and evacuated safely.  Responders were managing on scene HAZMAT issues.

Flash flooding was reported last night, with media and the EOC urging residents to stay inside and off the streets.

Oaklawn area is considered a crisis area with reports of hangar damage at the Mid-Continent Airport.   Three homes were damaged on 47th Street S. and Clifton.  Westar had reported they had 20,000 without power last night and as of today up to 11,000; with 10,000 of them being in Sedgewick County alone.  Some Oaklawn residents were sheltering at the Derby Rec Center being taken care of by The American Red Cross.

The Kansas Aviation Museumm had some damage including to their B47 Display.  Roof damage was reported at the Haker-Beechcraft Plant.  And, the Rice County Sheriff’s Office had damage to their offices and jail room.  All prisoners were being  moved to an off-site location.

Area Public Works employees were busy resetting traffic lights and cleaning up debris this morning.

According to the American Red Cross news releases, they are on scene  both at the Harveyville and Wichita locations.  In the Harveyville location, they are estimating that 60-percent of the damage assessment is completed with approximately 40 homes damaged by the EF2 Tornado.  Southeast Wichita is being assessed as well.

If you’d like to donate to the Red Cross, you may contact them at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.  Or you may send your donations through your local RED CROSS Chapter or to P. O. Box 37243, Washington D.C. 20013.  Information was received from the Midway-Wichita Kansas Chapter located at 1900 E. Douglas.  Contact Phone number #316-219-4000.

Photos of the aftermath can be viewed on several sites with one at  http://www.kwch.com.  The photos are like a thousand words with large trees being uprooted from the ground, mobile homes tossed like toys, the Air Museum showing tower damage and the Smolan Hog Farm virtually being destroyed.

We send our prayers and thoughts to the residents, emergency workers, first responders, transportation and public employees, to the people who will be cleaning up this mess and to everyone in between. We are saddened by this event you have had to go through and we are here to send you all love and support.

Sources:  KWCH.com, Red Cross, KSEOC

(c) 2012 The NW Fire Blog