Large tornado damages homes, church, and school in Grinnell, Kansas
A large tornado struck Grinnell, Kansas, at approximately 19:00 LT on May 18, 2025, causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and utilities.
A significant tornado impacted the town of Grinnell, Kansas, at approximately 19:00 local time (00:00 UTC) on May 18, leaving a path of destruction through the small community of around 260 residents. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning describing the event as “large and extremely dangerous.”
Preliminary surveys indicate the tornado caused widespread structural damage, including multiple homes destroyed down to their foundations. A church and a school in the town sustained major damage, while numerous utility poles and trees were snapped or uprooted.
Midwest Energy reported that both electric and gas systems were compromised, leaving approximately 330 customers without power. The gas system was proactively shut down to facilitate inspections and emergency repairs.
Interstate 70 near Grinnell was closed due to debris and downed power lines, significantly impacting regional traffic.
Based on initial damage patterns, particularly structures leveled to foundations, the event is preliminarily consistent with an EF-2 or stronger classification with wind speeds of at least 178–217 km/h (111–135 mph).
As of May 19, no fatalities or injuries have been confirmed. The NWS is conducting a damage survey to determine the tornado’s rating on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale.
This tornado was part of a broader severe weather outbreak across the Great Plains, affecting regions in Kansas, Texas, and Colorado. Multiple tornadoes were reported throughout the evening of May 18.
Featured image credit: Live Storms Media (stillshot from the video)
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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