Funnel Cloud over Webster State park on Saturday afternoon -photo courtesy Kelse Schneider
STOCKTON, Kan.- The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for portions of Central Kansas at 5:10 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
Just before 5:30 they issued a severe thunderstorm warning and then a tornado warning in Rooks and Phillips Counties.
Rooks County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher Phil Peterson said citizens reported three funnel clouds from the storm. Two were seen northeast of Webster Lake and one near the Rooks County golf course.
The storm also caused an electric motor fire in an oilrig engine. “That was probably from a power surge when a power pole was damaged in the storm,” said Peterson.
The tornado warning expired at 6:15 p.m. as the storm moved into Smith County and then into Nebraska.