March 12, 2006, 9:46 a.m. Updated March 12, 2006, 2:21 p.m.
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Lawrence appeared to have avoided a second storm this afternoon, after a first early morning squall wreaked havoc across the entire city.
With tornado sirens briefly offline early in the afternoon - service was later restored - police took to the streets, warning residents to take shelter from the "large, dangerous band of storms" that officials said could be worse than the first blow.
However, that storm stayed to the south of the city. Tornado warnings were issued this afternoon for Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. Those had expired as of 2:45 p.m., said Jennifer Schack, 6News meteorologist. Lawrence and Douglas County were remaining in a tornado watch until 10 p.m.
But the first round, which hit shortly after 8 a.m., was plenty bad.
One Kansas University student was reported with minor injuries. Lawrence Memorial Hospital reported that three people with storm-related injuries were being treated there, one with scalp lacerations, two others from an automobile accident in which the vehicle flipped over.
Across the city, power lines were down, creating hazards and leaving tens of thousands of residents without electricity. Reports from across Lawrence indicated that mobile home parks had been severely damaged, that fallen trees had destroyed cars and battered homes.
Tim Pinnick from the city's Neighborhood Resources department walked downtown blocks surveying damage, trying to get a handle on exactly how many homes and storefronts were wrecked in the storm.
"We can't really get around the city," because of heavy traffic and downed trees, Pinnick said.
He didn't have an estimate on damage yet, but found several buildings with blown out windows, awnings ripped from buildings and whole sections of roofing strewn along sidewalks and streets.
About 2 p.m., Westar Energy officials estimated that about 10,000 Lawrence residents were still without power.
Power outages continue in various parts of Lawrence, but other portions of the city had normal utility service. Mark Schreiber, a spokesman for Westar Energy, said six circuits were out between Lawrence and Olathe.
More than 12,000 Lawrence-area customers were without power as of 11 a.m., Schreiber said, but power had been restored to another 12,000 customers already.
"We've got crews coming in from Salina, Manhattan and Topeka to help with restoration," he said.
Video
Mark Cairns, director of the Community Emergency Response Team, discusses the damage following Sunday morning's storm. Enlarge video
Video
KU officials have not yet decided whether to hold school on Monday. The next 6News update will be at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Enlarge video
On U.S. Highway 40 west of Lawrence, large hailstones covered the pavement after the storm swept through. The Kansas Turnpike Authority reported that a semi overturned near the East Lawrence exist at mile marker 204; both lanes of traffic were blocked, but passenger traffic was getting through in one westbound lane.
'Stay away'
KU officials were contemplating cancelling classes on Monday; they said they would make an announcement by 8 p.m. today.
KU Public Safety Chief Ralph Oliver was asking residents to stay away from campus.
"We've got stuff coming off rooftops, and we don't want anyone to get injured," he said.
Templin Hall was evacuated, but students were quickly allowed back in the building, according to a witness. A large tree was felled near Frasier Hall and roofing material from the building was scattered across the lawn.
All KU facilities operations employees were asked to report to the facilities operations administration building immediately.
Douglas County Emergency Management sounded tornado sirens as the storm moved through.
"We had some reports of confirmed tornadoes within city limits," said Teri Smith with Douglas County Emergency Management. "We do have damage reports of people who've lost their roofs, downed trees."
Emergency authorities were responding to reports of trees down across the city, including one apparently on fire from a lightning strike. A semi truck was reported knocked over near Home Depot at 31st and Iowa. Debris littered streets across town.
March 12, 2006, Storm
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- Insurance documents from the Taylors' claim (pdf)
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- 6News video: Local family continues to clean up storm aftermath (03-30-06)
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- Pregnant storm victim thankful for aid (03-21-06)
- 6News video: Bishop Seabury students and alum help local family cleanup from storm (03-16-06)
- 6News video: Hundreds of city employees continue to collect storm debris (03-16-06)
- 6News video: South Park receives needed attention (03-16-06)
- 6News video: Historic downtown church labled a precaution from storm damage (03-16-06)
- Checkers security camera footage of the March 12 storms (03-16-06)
- 6News video: Several buildings in Lawrence declared unsafe to live or work
- 6News video: Historic headstones damaged by storm in Oak Hill Cemetery
- 6News video: Ten-year-old captures live footage of microburst
- Forecast for rain prompts fast repairs (03-16-06)
- Safety concerns lead to re-evacuation (03-16-06)
- 6News video: Tornado sirens ring loud and clear during testing (03-14-06)
- 6News video: State government plans for KU repair cost (03-14-06)
- 6News video: Several Lawrence parks and cemeteries hit hard by storm (03-14-06)
- What does it take to sound sirens? (03-15-06)
- Tuesday's warning was only a test
- Sebelius and Hemenway press conference, part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- March 12 Storm: Aftermath
- Storm damage
- Reader photos: Storm damage
- Interactive storm damage map
Storm photos
Please send us your storm photos at editor@ljworld.com. Please tell us when and where the photo was taken.
Smith said her office had been in contact with the National Weather Service.
The service is "not going to rule out a tornado at this time," Smith said. "We're not going to rule out a downburst, but as you know, a downburst can be just as damaging as a tornado."
"We actually saw it," said Brenda Mayberry, who was at 2200 Harper when the storm struck. "It was a funnel."
Neighbors near the Nunemaker-Ross farm northwest of Lawrence reported seeing a tornado touch down, killing several cattle. That report is not yet confirmed.
"We had a small tornado touch down in our backyard," said Kris Kohnke, calling in from her home in the 2700 block of Inverness Court.
One witness on Pleasant Street in North Lawrence said a number of trees had been broken in half, that one residential roof had been torn away, and that a backyard shed had ended up in a nearby yard.
On the 900 block of Rhode Island St., residents took turns sawing downed trees and calling landlords. One tree cracked apart and crashed into two houses.
Sara McManus' roof blew off in the wind, landing a few feet away from her house. She paced the sidewalk, talking to her landlord.
"I'm just piling all my stuff into the front room," she said. "I hope it doesn't rain again."
Trees were reported to have crashed into houses at Eighth and Ash streets, and 20th and Tennessee streets. Power lines were reported down near Bishop Seabury Academy, 4120 Clinton Parkway.
A mobile home park at 2200 Harper was also badly damaged, according to residents.
"We had a lot of trees knocked over onto trailers," said Audrey Williams, calling in from the park. "There's quite a few (damaged). I don't know exactly how many."
Officials at KU said that, with power out, computer centers would be closed and not re-opened for several hours.
More details as they become available.
Cancellations
¢ Classes at New York School and Central Junior High are canceled.
¢ St. John the Evangelist Church religious education classes are canceled.
¢ Community Children's Center Head Start, 925 Vt., is canceled Monday due to facilities damage.
¢ The Yoga Center of Lawrence has canceled today's afternoon class above Milton's, 920 Mass.
¢ Lawrence Community Theater's Sunday afternoon performance is canceled.
¢ HIlltop Child Development Center is closed on Monday.
¢ Before and after-school programs at Hillcrest, Sunflower and Prairie Park schools are closed on Monday.
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12 March 2006
at 8:50 a.m.
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Becca (Becca Sturgeon) says…
I was sound asleep this morning, when the sirens went off. By the time I got dressed, all the excitement was over. I missed it, nothing happened up here by the hospital.
12 March 2006
at 8:57 a.m.
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punkrockmom (Anonymous) says…
Nothing on my side of the street, but across the street, there was all kinds of damage.
12 March 2006
at 9:05 a.m.
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Redneckgal (Anonymous) says…
I'm hoping and praying all you folks up there are okay.
12 March 2006
at 9:13 a.m.
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cutny (Anonymous) says…
I have downed trees blocking the alley next to my house. I know it's not much of an emergency situation, but does anybody know who gets called to remove the trees? Again, I don't have any illusions that someone's going to come running out to do it today. Thanks
12 March 2006
at 9:25 a.m.
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trinity (Anonymous) says…
i've been on the phone with my daughter, lives in the 14th&ohio area, said that she saw it go by her window, neighborhood is basically ok but for broken trees&all; tv news is saying there was some damage on campus, nothing real bad just windows etc. wow, stay safe, lawrencians!
12 March 2006
at 9:32 a.m.
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Redneckgal (Anonymous) says…
cutny I'm sure you probably call the city. I'm sure other tree and utility crews from surounding towns and KCP&L will be on there way too. They are always good about responding to emergancies us folks in the mid-west have to look out for each other with our crazy weather
12 March 2006
at 9:32 a.m.
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prospector (Anonymous) says…
Ugly out there. Many, many windows out on Mass, trees down, roof off building at 8th and Vermont, small church steeple fell of Preb. church on 900 block Vermont. Geological Survey at 15th and Iowa heavy damage. YUCK!!!!
12 March 2006
at 9:33 a.m.
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prospector (Anonymous) says…
19th and Iowa sorry
12 March 2006
at 9:54 a.m.
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flange (Anonymous) says…
We had a fence post come through our apartment wall. (Pictures at the link below.) No one hurt here. Hope no one else was hurt anywhere else.
http://flange.homelinux.com/
12 March 2006
at 10:03 a.m.
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trinity (Anonymous) says…
wow flange, glad nobody got hurt, that is awful! thanks for showing us…what neighborhood is your apartment?
12 March 2006
at 10:06 a.m.
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flange (Anonymous) says…
Near 9th and Emery.
12 March 2006
at 10:22 a.m.
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trinity (Anonymous) says…
thanks…well make sure ya'll stay safe today!
12 March 2006
at 10:23 a.m.
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bangaranggerg (Anonymous) says…
Any reports of injuries yet? Which side of town got it worse?
12 March 2006
at 10:39 a.m.
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sd123 (Anonymous) says…
We live just across Alvamar golf course on Bob Billings. Our dog woke me up around 8:10. I got up and heard the loud thundering wind. It was like thunder that wouldn't end. I looked out the window and saw debris swirling. I ran upstairs to get my kids. Just as we got to the hallway, we got hit. We have missing roof tiles, and damage in our back yard. Thank God nothing major. And thank God for our dog!!!! We adopted her about 2 months ago from the Humane shelter.
12 March 2006
at 10:57 a.m.
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pugmom (Anonymous) says…
My daughter lives in Templin, and called about 9:30 after they were evacuated to Lewis. Since then, I can't reach her; her cell phone goes straight to voice mail. Sitting here in Wichita, I'm getting very worried. Does anyone have information on damage to the dorms on Iowa? Thanks.
12 March 2006
at 11 a.m.
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sailorette (Anonymous) says…
Does anyone know when the KU web systems might be back online? I'm supposed to have a meeting on campus today, and can't access my E-mail.
Also, pugmom, dorms seem just fine… I live just across Iowa from them and all students should be OK. There appears to be damage to a couple of cars in the parking lot in front of McCollum.
12 March 2006
at 11:01 a.m.
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audvisartist (Anonymous) says…
Storm seems to have been playing “eenie meenie miney moe” as to who got hit. No damage here at my place, but the house next door had a huge tree limb sitting on the roof, the fence broken to pieces, a pretty hefty BBQ pit toppled over and the sliding glass door was shattered.
12 March 2006
at 11:03 a.m.
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prospector (Anonymous) says…
Windows blown out and power problems at some of the dorms on Daisy Hill(Iowa). Power was probably the reason for the move.
12 March 2006
at 11:06 a.m.
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flange (Anonymous) says…
Pugmom, some friends in Templin said there was a gas leak. They said most of the damage is in the parking lot to cars. Apparently a big A/C unit got blown off the roof of Templin, and a lot of windows were blown out, but I think that's about it.
This is all second hand; I haven't been over there to see anything myself.
12 March 2006
at 11:22 a.m.
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pugmom (Anonymous) says…
Thanks so much for the updates. I'm guessing that the cell phone towers are down, or the lines are jammed. Thanks again.
12 March 2006
at 11:24 a.m.
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lunacydetector (Anonymous) says…
damage widespread from wakarusa into east lawrence. massive trees down west of kasold to wakarusa. electrical power fire off clinton parkway and inverness. giant power poles split in half just north of hyvee on kasold & clinton pkwy. light poles down on south iowa and south kasold. 2 steeples knocked off plymouth congregational church, laying in vermont street. upper window blown off us bank building on mass as well as roof materials. awning blown off front of weavers with one piece of awning laying BEHIND the building. wood fences blown down from wakarusa to east lawrence.
looked like straight line winds blowing from east to west all over town.
12 March 2006
at 11:25 a.m.
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lunacydetector (Anonymous) says…
correction:
looked like straight line winds blowing from west to east all over town.
12 March 2006
at 11:30 a.m.
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Lwrobwil (Anonymous) says…
Our son called from Lawerence at 8:30 - lives near 9th & Rhode Island - his side of the house is ok, but other side has damage. Also house down the street has roof damage, landing on another house.
I'm in far SE Kansas - so we know what you are going through. Everyone keep safe!! We've been missed so far this season.
12 March 2006
at 11:30 a.m.
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Fatty_McButterpants (Anonymous) says…
I didn't even know there was a storm this morning. I slept right through it. I hope everyone is okay and that the only thing lost is property.
12 March 2006
at 11:31 a.m.
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bthom37 (Anonymous) says…
Whew, I feel very lucky we didn't get any damage here (6th & Monterey Way). Just some loud hail that woke me up. Then I heard the sirens.
What I wonder about is why was there no EBS, at least that I saw? First thing I did was turn on the TV, and couldn't find anything besides 'Severe Storm Warning' graphics in the corner of regular shows, until about 15 minutes AFTER the sirens.
12 March 2006
at 11:39 a.m.
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yourworstnightmare (Anonymous) says…
KU campus is a mess. Roofs blown away, tiles off of the rooftops, huge trees uprooted.
12 March 2006
at 11:39 a.m.
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tpatric (Anonymous) says…
I wondered about that too. I had the TV on until the power went out and never saw an EBS warning.
12 March 2006
at 11:42 a.m.
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dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
The storm went bad just as went over Lawrence, so there was no time for a warning. The fact that the sirens went off was a miracle. We got a call from my mother-in-laws alarm company that she had an alarm going off, and her phone had a busy signal. We were just about to leave for her house when the wind hit and the sirens went off. When we finally made it over to her house, she was ok, probably lightening. On the way home the traffic was awful. I understand the curiostiy, but all I wanted to do was get home.
12 March 2006
at 11:46 a.m.
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sd123 (Anonymous) says…
Probably no EBS warnings because it was a “sneak attach.” I came and went so fast!
12 March 2006
at 11:47 a.m.
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MLE (Anonymous) says…
We are at 2200 Harper and a neighbors metal storage building flew around the big tree in front yard, hit our new truck we've had less than a month then was blown back to it's spot.
12 March 2006
at 11:55 a.m.
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a_flock_of_jayhawks (Anonymous) says…
a few transmission line poles near 22nd & Kasold were broke in half with the main t-lines laying in some trees, igniting them. a couple of light poles were laying in Kasold, sheered off at ground level. several privacy fences were laid over or missing sections.
12 March 2006
at 11:57 a.m.
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true_patriot (Anonymous) says…
It may be a combination of straight-line winds and tornadic activity because as i watched from a window booth at Firstwatch restaurant on S. Iowa i saw the dark cloud base to the immediate west just dropping lower and lower and leaves were flying in all directions, then the powerlines started oscillating crazily up and down.
Just when i started thinking wow this is gonna be an intense thunderstorm with some pretty massive windgusts, i observed a light brownish swirling funnel approach us about 30 feet off the ground coming from the southwest across Iowa street. We headed for the bathrooms and then the power went off and stuff hammered the building for about 20 seconds.
So whatever else happened there was definitely tornadic activity involved as well.
12 March 2006
at 12:34 p.m.
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Bubarubu (Anonymous) says…
I'm on the west side near Kasold and Clinton, across from HyVee. I don't know about HyVee or the lines that are down on Kasold, but our power just came back on ten minutes ago. Westar said parts of town may take 24 hours to get power restored.
12 March 2006
at 2:25 p.m.
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eallen (Anonymous) says…
Does anybody know if colony woods has electricity back on?
Thanks!
12 March 2006
at 2:34 p.m.
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Calliope877 (Anonymous) says…
Posted by flange (anonymous) on March 12, 2006 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“Near 9th and Emery.”
Hi. I live on 9th and Emery too in Old Mill Apartments. It looks like you live in College Hill. As far as I know, there wasn't any damage done to my apartment complex. Isn't it weird how random these things are? It's frightening.
12 March 2006
at 2:41 p.m.
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Carmenilla (Anonymous) says…
Saw all of the downtown destruction with ma own 2 eyes. The awning from Weaver's was not blown behind the building. They placed it there after it had blown off the front of the store. It was ragged and bent. South Park is truly depressing. So many trees are ruined. My parents have half a tree on top of their house and branches coming thru the roof. Let's hope there are no more storms!
Also, everyone STOP driving around “surveying” the damage (i.e. rubbernecking). You are a hinderance to the work that needs to be done. Stopdriving like idiots as you gawk at the misfortunes of others. Stay home and do us all a favor!
Sorry, I just saw so much stupidity on the road as I drove home from work. Don't people know that a stoplight thats broken is like a 4-way stop? Common sense is what is needed right now.
12 March 2006
at 5:39 p.m.
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badger (Anonymous) says…
You all are very much in my thoughts today, and I hope that you are all safe and able to recover from the damage.
I am just sitting here in shock, looking at pictures of familiar places and boggling.
13 March 2006
at 12:57 a.m.
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lunacydetector (Anonymous) says…
i wonder…after all the excitement and destruction….did the emergency preparedness lady get to use her $5,000 flat screen plasma television at 8:00AM Sunday morning. i hope it came in handy since the citizens paid for it.