Tornado reports, huge hail pound parts of Kansas, Missouri

BEATRICE – It was a night of tornado reports and huge hail for eastern and northern Kansas and parts of Missouri…tracking along the Interstate 70 corridor.

Tornado sightings were reported by law enforcement and weather spotters near Alta Vista, Alma and Rossville, Kansas…..communities southeast and east of Manhattan.  The tornado sightings, confirmed twisters on the ground, prompted tornado warnings to be issued between 7:50 and 8:30 p.m. Grapefruit-sized hail was reported with the severe storm just southwest of Alma, Kansas….which is southeast of Manhattan.

So far, there have been no reports of significant damage associated with the reported tornadoes.

Baseball-sized hail was reported at Grandview Plaza, Kansas….southwest of Manhattan along I-70, while golf ball to tennis ball-sized hail was reported a few miles farther east.

Hail larger than baseballs was reported near Bonner Springs, Kansas and Edwardsville, between Lawrence and Kansas City.   Quarter-sized to golf ball sized hail was reported near Liberty, Missouri, northeast of Kansas City.

A cluster of reports of hail ranging from quarters to tennis balls in size….came from the area near Hays, Kansas in the central areas of the state…..both south and north of Interstate 70. 

Although the storms moved north-northeast……areas of southeast Nebraska largely escaped severe weather warnings.   Marshall and Nemaha Counties in northeast Kansas…..along the Nebraska-Kansas line…..were included in severe thunderstorm warnings, Wednesday night.

Nearly a half-inch of rain fell at KWBE, in Beatrice.