WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Strong winds blew through south central Kansas, leaving downed trees and damaged buildings and cutting off power to thousands of residents. Local media reported damage early Friday in Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick and Butler counties. Harvey County Sheriff T Walton says the Newton Library and several other buildings in the city were damaged. Video on local media show a roof ripped off Figaec Aerospace and other buildings in Wichita. There were no early reports of fatalities. Power outages were reported throughout the region. Westar Energy says as of 6am, 50,000 customers were without power, including 31,000 in Sedgwick County; 7,800 in Reno County; 7,900 in Harvey County and 1,900 in Butler County. School was canceled Friday in Wichita and Maize because of the power outages.
The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.