Kansas
‘It looked like an umbilical cord.’ Residents clean up after deadly Kansas tornado
WESTMORELAND — With a tornado headed directly toward their Westmoreland home, retirees Barry and Beverly Toburen sought refuge Tuesday with their three dogs in their bathroom.
The lights flickered off, came back on, then flickered off again, Barry Toburen told The Capital-Journal on Wednesday.
Then the tornado hit.
“My ears popped real loud, and everything went sideways there,” Toburen said. “It blew the door in on me, knocked me over on top of the wife, and then all of a sudden, it got real light. Obviously, it got light because the roof was gone. And then the sheetrock and everything came down on top of us.”
The Toburens’ home was in or near ground zero of the area hit by Tuesday’s tornado, which Pottawatomie County public information officer Becky Ryan said killed one person, caused minor injuries to three others, destroyed 22 homes and left 13 homes damaged but livable.
The name, age and gender of the person who died wasn’t being immediately released.
‘It looked like an umbilical cord’
Leslie Campbell said her husband videotaped the tornado on his cellphone as they watched it from a large hill.
The tornado “didn’t look like a tornado,” Campbell said. “It looked like an umbilical cord.”
“It was really long, and it didn’t touch down for a long time, and finally we saw it touch down,” she said.
Campbell said the homes damaged in Westmoreland included that of her mother-in-law, Linda Campbell.
Father and son sought shelter in hallway as tornado destroyed home
Ashley Van Gilder, a Westmoreland resident whose home was among those hit, described what happened as being “just devastating.”
She said she wasn’t home at the time, but her husband and their 8-year-old son Joseph were.
Joseph said he and his father sought shelter in a hallway of their home as the tornado loudly passed though.
“It was very weird,” he said. “We heard it touch down. It was cracking and stuff.”
Joseph’s father held him down as the tornado passed through, he said.
The family’s hallway has always been its “safe place” during times of potential severe weather, though members had talked earlier this week about potentially finding an alternative, Ashley VanGilder said.
Westmoreland family digs out from destroyed home
Barry Toburen, whose house was destroyed, said he had stood outside watching as the twister approached.
“The wife said, ‘Get your butt in the house!” he said.
Later, after crawling out from the wreckage, Barry Toburen said he realized that a large limb had been coming toward his head but stopped just short of it.
The tornado destroyed items that included Barry Toburen’s brand new lawnmower.
“I mowed the yard twice with it,” he said, with a laugh.
Barry Toburen said he managed to recover other items that included medals he’d been awarded while in the military.
He said he and his wife had gotten a motel room in nearby Wamego and were boarding their three dogs with a veterinarian there.
Another Westmoreland family is trying to salvage ‘sentimental things’
Jason Resser said he was away when the tornado went straight down the middle of the house where he has lived for 24 years.
“Everything in the core of the house is completely gone,” said Resser, who is manager of Westmoreland’s Dollar General Store.
He said he and his wife and children were looking Wednesday for “sentimental things” and furniture they could reuse.
Spokeswoman: 175 people turned out to help clean up debris
A team from the National Weather Service’s Topeka office was in Westmoreland on Wednesday assessing the damage and determining Tuesday’s tornado’s rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale used to measure tornado intensity, said Nathan Griesemer, a meteorologist for that office.
Storm surveys were also being conducted in Shawnee, Jefferson and Nemaha counties.
In addition to the houses that were hit, the tornado destroyed five outbuildings, including one each owned by Pottawatomie County and housing its recycling processing and noxious weed operations, said Ryan, the Pottawatomie County public information officer.
Pottawatomie County offices, which are based in Westmoreland, were closed to the public Wednesday.
More than 175 people were in Westmoreland on Wednesday helping clean up debris, Ryan said, describing that turnout as “amazing.”
Those helping clean up included at least 30 teachers and other employees from local schools.
The American Red Cross on Tuesday evening provided a temporary shelter at Rock Creek High School, Ryan said. That was being moved Wednesday to the Westmoreland Community Building, she said.
The Salvation Army was on hand providing meals, she said.
Tuesday’s tornado fatality was the first in Kansas since Richard D. Slade, 53, was killed Feb. 28, 2012, by a EF-2 tornado that struck his home at Harveyville in Wabaunsee County.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
KISMET, Kan. (KWCH) – Last month, wildfires in southern Kansas raged, destroying farmer Randall Thorp’s property, tools and 960 acres of land.
As he handles the massive cleanup project, he knows he is not alone.
“It’s about the greatest show of love I’ve ever seen,” Thorpe said. “I didn’t realize that I would have all this support in my greatest time of need.”
The two main contributors to Thorp’s optimism are the community around him and his faith.
“I’ve seen a lot of darkness that, because of my faith in Jesus, I can see the light in my heart,” Thorp said. “And that’s what keeps me going.”
Throughout the past few weeks, friends, family and neighbors have come to his property to help sort out and clean up the debris.
“I come out here and I’m by myself and I find it hard to do anything, but when a group of people all shows up and they’re wanting to work, then I’m ready to get to work with them, and they’re all ready to help me,” Thorp said.
Even with all the uncertainty following the fire, Thorp has been able to feed the 150 cattle he has, a number that is now growing since it is calving season. Friendly helpers are providing free hay for his animals to eat.
There’s a long way until things will be back to normal, but Thorp is determined to get there.
“You know, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel, but I’ve got to stay strong and keep it going and make it through,” Thorp said.
The powerful show of dependability from fellow Kansans is something he will never forget.
“I’ve been shown lots of love,” Thorp said.
You can still donate to Thorp’s GoFundMe here.
Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas City International Airport in Missouri was partly evacuated over a “threat” Sunday afternoon but has since resumed “normal operations,” officials said.
“The security incident at [Kansas City International Airport] is now clear and normal operations are resuming,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X.
“I want to thank law enforcement including the FBI for their timely response. The safety of our passengers, airport staff, and crew members is always our number one priority.”
Airport representative Jackson Overstreet told The Associated Press in an email that the threat was reported at 11:50 a.m. local time, at which point an entire terminal was evacuated.
He said planes that landed after the threat were being held on the taxiway until it could be fully investigated.
FBI rep Dixon Land said the bureau was “aware of the incident” and worked with “law enforcement officials to determine the credibility of a threat.”
Passenger Logan Hawley, 29, told the outlet he was getting ready to board a flight to Texas when he saw police and K-9 units swarming the terminal.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying ‘immediately evacuate,’ people got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.
Roughly 2,000 people were ushered out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, he said.
Photos and video from the airport circulating online show large groups of passengers being led onto the tarmac or funneling out of the terminal.
With Post Wires
Kansas
Kansas family stranded in Iran with critical medical need makes it home through congressional intervention
SHAWNEE, Kan. – A Kansas family said a call to their congresswoman’s office helped bring their daughter and son-in-law home after they were stranded overseas with an unmet critical medical need.
Janet Fulgham said her daughter Laura and Laura’s husband Adam had been traveling in the UAE when an attack on Iran disrupted their plans to return home.
With their trip delayed and Laura facing a medical need that could not be met there, Fulgham said she contacted the office of Rep. Sharice Davids.
Fulgham said Davids’ office worked with the State Department to flag the emergency and secure a flight for the couple.
“The first thing that went through my mind was her medication. It is such a big part of her life. And then how do we get them out safely? How on earth do we get them out?” Fulgham said.
She said the experience prompted her to share a message with other families.
“Very often things are out of your control. But what I want everyone to know is, no matter what state you’re in, there are services to the American public that we may not know about,” Fulgham said.
Davids, who represents Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, said the situation reflects the real-world impact of international crises.
“This is one of those areas where you really see how much we’re talking about real people. You know, Laura and Adam are real Kansans who are stuck in a situation that they did not ask to be in. I’m just so relieved and glad that they’re back home,” Davids said.
Fulgham said the relief of her daughter’s return is tempered by awareness of others still waiting.
“Happiness and my delight that they’re home. Mixed with my total exhaustion. But then there’s so many other parents and friends and family members who are waiting for their loved ones. It’s hard to really celebrate when you know there’s such a big need,” Fulgham said.
Davids is expected to visit the family later this week. Her office said it is still working to help other Kansas families who remain stranded.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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