1 person dead, buildings damaged after tornado rips through northeastern Kansas

WESTMORELAND, Kan. — One person died Tuesday when a tornado ripped through the small northeastern Kansas town of Westmoreland, authorities said.

Pottawatomie County officials said on Facebook that a tornado hit the city Tuesday evening, damaging several buildings. First responders conducted a grid search in Westmoreland to survey damage and look for people who may have been injured.

A Pottawatomie County spokesperson confirmed the single fatality in a news release sent to the media. The name of the deceased person was being withheld pending family notification.

Westmoreland is located approximately 45 miles (72.42 kilometers) northwest of Topeka.

Images posted to social media showed a tornado on the ground in Westmoreland, as well as damaged homes, uprooted trees and an overturned semi.

Tuesday’s storms came just two days after tornadoes tore through Oklahoma on Sunday, killing four people and injuring at least 100. Tornadoes ripped through Nebraska and Iowa on Friday, destroying homes and businesses and killing one person.