Russell sees significant damage after severe storms

RUSSELL, Kan. (KSNW) – A severe storm that hit Russell on Sunday caused significant damage to power lines, homes, businesses and vehicles, the City of Russell said.

According to the City, the tornado sirens were activated at 3:28 p.m. Sunday, and the National Weather Service issued a warning for a confirmed tornado on the ground west of Russell.

The storm damaged homes, businesses, vehicles and the city’s electric distribution system. At least three structures were leveled.

By 4 p.m., power was out across the city. The City says it activated its emergency operations plan, focusing on people’s safety, protecting property and restoring city services.

The fire department assisted the street and parks department with clearing trees from the roadways. Street signs and traffic lights were also damaged.

According to the City of Russell, most power was restored by midnight. However, crews are still working on isolated outages. Some electric customers have damage to their property or meter box that will require the work of a licensed electrician before power can be restored.

Because of the storms, Russell USD 407 announced there will be no school on Monday, May 20.

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