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Tornadoes touch down in Kansas and Missouri as lightning and hail hit Kansas City metro

A tornado forms and touches down north of Soloman, Kansas, Saturday, April 14, 2012.
Orlin Wagner
/
AP
A tornado forms and touches down north of Soloman, Kansas, Saturday, April 14, 2012.

Meteorologists confirmed tornadoes in Franklin County, Kansas and Linn County, Missouri. The Kansas City metro area went under tornado watch around 6:30 p.m., before lightning storms and rain rolled in.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Tornadoes hit Ottawa, Kansas, on Monday night as thunderstorms and rain blanketed the metro.

The storm moved northeast from the Flint Hills, bringing large hail and damaging winds.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Franklin County, and KCTV5 reports it hit the ground at 15th and Eisenhower in Ottawa.

As the storm moved east, taking half-dollar-sized hail with it, the weather agency issued a tornado warning for Cass County, Missouri, just before 9 p.m..

The National Weather Service also confirmed a tornado at around 8:35 p.m. near Pleasanton in Linn County. It said spotters reported a funnel cloud as the storm moved east into Bates County in Missouri.

Evergy reported about 12,000 customers were without power as of 10:05 p.m. in east-central Kansas. You can check the outage map here.

People in the region should expect severe weather, including damaging winds, hail and a possible tornado, again Tuesday night into Wednesday. Friday afternoon may also bring storm activity.

Emily Younker is the news editor for the Kansas News Service. She previously spent 14 years at her hometown newspaper, The Joplin Globe in Joplin, Missouri, where she was part of the award-winning team that covered the deadly May 22, 2011, tornado and its aftermath. Email her at eyounker@kcur.org.
The vibrant, diverse Kansas City metro is trying to make its mark on the global stage. As KCUR’s interim news director, I strive to bring you stories — wherever you usually find them — that help you stay informed, better know your home and reflect the joy of being in your community. Email me at madeline@kcur.org.
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