Tornado Kansas City: Live Updates on Storm Path, Damage, School Closures & Safety Tips

A ‘large and extremely dangerous’ tornado hits Kansas City The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that a “large and extremely dangerous” tornado touched down near Raytown shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday, racing east at 45 mph toward Independence. Sirens echoed across the metro as the twister carved a swath through southern Kansas City, triggering shelter-in-place alerts on phones and highway message boards. Where and when the tornado formed • 1:45 p.m. – Rotation first detected over Edgerton, KS, prompting the day’s initial tornado warning for Johnson and Miami counties. • 2:05 p.m. – Storm intensified over Overland Park and Leawood; NWS issued a fresh warning as the cell accelerated east. • 2:30 p.m. – Funnel confirmed on the ground near Brush Creek, crossing Truman Sports Complex and I-435. • 2:45 p.m. – Tornado likely ongoing in western Independence, according to NWS social-media updates. The entire Kansas City metro remains under a tornado watch until 8 p.m., covering 23 counties in Missouri and Kansas. Damage reports and power outages Early images show multiple semi-trucks overturned on I-635, mangled trees along Blue Parkway, and roof damage in Lee’s Summit. Evergy’s outage map listed more than 11,000 customers without electricity in Kansas City and another 2,700 around Independence by 3:30 p.m.. Emergency managers are evaluating structural damage in Raytown, Grandview, and Grain Valley. Flash-flooding compounds the threat Heavy rain bands on the storm’s backside prompted a flash-flood warning for Jackson, Clay and Platte counties until at least 7:30 p.m.. Between 0.5 in. and 1.5 in. of rainfall had already fallen before the tornado hit, with an additional 1–3 in. possible this evening. Why today’s storm turned severe Meteorologists attribute the outbreak to a sharp dryline pushing out of central Kansas colliding with Gulf moisture pooling over eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Afternoon temperatures in the upper 80s created surface instability, while a 60-kt mid-level jet supplied the shear necessary for supercell development—classic ingredients for a Kansas City tornado event in late spring. What to do now • Move to a basement or small interior room on the lowest floor; avoid windows. • Keep a hard-soled pair of shoes, charged phone and flashlight with you. • Do not attempt to outrun a tornado in a vehicle; if you’re caught outside, lie flat in a low ditch. • Turn around, don’t drown: never drive through water covering the road. • Monitor NOAA Weather Radio, @NWSKansasCity and local TV for updates. Helpful links and resources • Live radar and warning map: weather.gov/eax • Evergy outage tracker: outagemap.evergy.com • Kansas City metro shelter locations: kcmo.gov/alertkc Stay tuned: This story will be updated as new information on the Kansas City tornado, damage assessments, and recovery efforts becomes available.