KSNW-TV in Wichita is reporting a 2nd southwest-central Kansas town - Macksville - has been struck by a tornado at 2335 CDT Friday night.This broadcast is being monitored live here.
Reporters from the station are in the town of Greensburg, KS. in Kiowa County.
Greensburg was struck by "a large tornado" around 2200 (10pm).
At least 12 critical injuries have been reported in Greensburg - with people still reported trapped in structures there.
A tornado watch is or soon will be in effect for portions of eastern Kansas - mainly northwest through southwest of the Topeka area.
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12:05 AM SATURDAY UPDATE - Tornado damage has now been reported in the north-central Kansas town of Phillipsburg.
Greensburg is receiving mutual-aid help from emergency agencies as far away as Garden City - communications into and out of Greensburg remain sporatic at best.
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1:30 AM SATURDAY UPDATE: A massive supercell thunderstorm continues to produce either one - or a series of large tornadoes across south-central Kansas this morning.
The latest report - at 0115 CDT is that a large tornado has apparently just missed the mile-square town of Ellinwood, KS. - just east of Great Bend.
Reporters have said the downtown business district of Greensburg, KS. was virtually destroyed. Injured persons have been taken to hospitals in Pratt and Dodge City.
The town of Macksville northeast of Greensburg has damage - but the extent is unknown due to communications issues.
This is also the same issue with Phillipsburg in the north-central part of Kansas - also reportedly struck by a tornado from other supercells that have moved into southern Nebraska.
No fatalites yet reported anywhere in this very unusual nightime tornado outbreak that will no doubt have some historic value.
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0140 CDT - CLAFLIN, KS has been struck.
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KSN WEB SITE WITH NEW VIDEO & INFO
0335 CDT UPDATE - One fatality has been confirmed in Greensburg, KS. by KSN.
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UPDATE - 0730 CDT - The death toll has risen to 3 with more than 5-dozen injured - 12 of those critically - from a massive tornado in southwestern-central Kansas.
The huge "wedge" tornado tore into the town of Greensburg, KS. just before 10 p.m. Friday night.
KSN-TV reports "60% of the Greensburg destroyed" by the tornado which also the hit the neighboring town of Macksville. Two died in Greensburg as of dawn Saturday morning and another death was reported near Macksville.
Nearby towns of Claflin and Ellinswood suffered near-misses but damage by the funnel that some described as being "a mile wide."
Also reported hit by a tornado is the northwest Kansas town of Phillipsburg. There were no reports yet of damage and injuries from that strike.
The same areas are under the gun again today according to the Storm Prediction Center.
A "moderate risk" of severe thunderstorms is expected later today (Saturday) from central Oklahoma through Central Kansas into Nebraska - including many of the same areas affected Friday night and early Saturday morning.
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