WESTMORELAND, Kan, May 1, (AP): One person died Tuesday when a tornado ripped through the small city of Westmoreland in northeastern Kansas, destroying houses, RVs and outbuildings, authorities said.
Pottawatomie County officials said on Facebook that a tornado struck the city of about 700 people Tuesday evening, destroying 22 homes, three RVs and five outbuildings and damaging another 13 homes and one commercial building. First responders were conducting grid searches in Westmoreland to survey damage and to look for people who may have been injured.
A Pottawatomie County spokesperson confirmed the single fatality in a news release sent to media. The name of the person who died was being withheld pending family notification.
Three people also were reported injured, but none of them were critical, the county spokesperson said in a follow-up statement.
Westmoreland is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of Topeka and is the Pottawatomie County seat.
Images posted to social media showed a tornado on the ground in Westmoreland, as well as damaged homes, uprooted trees and a flipped semi.