Tornadoes ripped through the Midwest during the first week of May wreaking havoc. From the northern suburbs of Kansas City to Oklahoma City, OK, a series of storms made that week one of the most destructive in recent history. The recovery process continues today.
In Pierce City MO, city officials moved quickly to clean up debris left by the storms. A deadline of June 7 was established to sign up for commercial building demolition and debris removal.
Ceres Environmental, of Brooklyn Park, MN, was the low bidder for two months of demolition and debris removal. The contract reportedly is worth $353,000, 75 percent of which will be paid by the federal government. The state will pay 10 percent, and Pierce City must pay the remaining 15 percent.
Work crews put up fencing June 23 to block off more than 30 tornado-damaged Pierce City buildings slated for government-funded demolition.
According to Mayor Mark Peters, the fast deadline to sign up for demolition was established because of extensive liability issues the city faced due to the threat of falling debris.
“Buildings not removed by our contractors or stabilized in a reasonable timeframe will be reviewed for code and condemnation violations. We have to take the necessary steps to get our businesses back in operation.”
The series of storms started on May 6 with the first twister touching down in Leavenworth County, KS. Within moments a second twister set down in Wyandotte County eventually moving across the Missouri River into Riverside, MO.
As the cell traveled into Missouri an third tornado struck Clay County, MO, carving a path 100 to 300 yds. (90-270 m) wide. A fourth tornado touched down just east of Liberty, MO, with winds peaking at 150 mph. (90 kmh)
In southern Missouri, a storm super cell swept through southern Missouri spawning two deadly tornado tracks. The first group set down in eastern Newton County, Missouri, just west of Pierce City. These storms, ranging in classification from F-1 to F-3, tracked continuously for 43 mi. (71.7 km) before lifting in Battlefield, MO. Damage reached 1 mi. (1 km.) in width.
This storm cell peaked just west of Pierce City, MO, as an F-3 tornado (158-206 mph) destroyed most of the structures in town. The only structures spared were City Hall, the post office and a convenience store. Seven fatalities resulted from these storms.
The second group of tornadoes started just west of Liberal, KS. These storms last for 95 minutes and swept to the northwest. These were classified between F-1 and F-3. The most heavily damaged community was Stockton, MO. This storm track resulted in eight deaths.
Later in the week two separate storms ravaged Oklahoma City. On May 8 tornadoes cut a 19-mi. (31.7 km) swath through Okalahoma City’s southern suburbs. Two days later, tornadoes again hit the city’s outskirts leaving five people injured and 18,000 people without electricity.
By week’s end, 298 tornadoes were reported to the National Weather Service nationwide for the week. This exceeded the previous record set in 1999, by 139. Forty deaths were reported in Missouri and seven in Kansas.
President Bush declared 39 counties in Missouri, 25 in Oklahoma and seven in Kansas disaster areas, making them eligible for federal assistance.
In Missouri and Kansas, damage estimates continue to grow, and the total cost to the two states could exceed a half billion dollars. Scott Lakin, Missouri’s state insurance director stated that losses have already exceeded $200 million. “Our experience shows that these estimates tend to grow as we get a better handle on the situation.”
In Kansas, the storm damage cost already reached $37 million, according to the Kansas Insurance Commissioner’s Office.
In Liberty, MO, the historic square was closed for several days after the storm. Liberty officials declared 11 structures as dangerous. William Jewell College, in Liberty, estimated damages at up to $20 million. Graduation services still went on as scheduled as the college contracted with a local tree service to clean up debris.
Wyandotte County, KS, officials reported that of, 577 structures damaged by the storms, 88 were destroyed and 97 reported major damage.
Gladstone, MO, sustained the brunt of these storms as more than 389 structures were damaged. In one Gladstone subdivision, 42 houses were cited as unsafe.
In total, the Kansas City metropolitan area, which includes six counties, had more than 1,900 structures damaged or destroyed by the storms.
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