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Meteorologists have confirmed that more than a half-dozen tornadoes touched down in different parts of Kansas on Thursday, including one that was measured as an EF-3.
Damage surveys conducted by National Weather Service meteorologists have preliminarily confirmed eight tornadoes,
which would place 2016 fourth in the rankings of most October tornadoes in state history.
"For October standards, it's halfway decent," Andy Kleinsasser, a meteorologist with the weather service, said of Thursday's outbreak.
Officials are still gathering information about tornadoes reported in Allen County in southeast Kansas on Thursday night, so totals could yet change. But as of late Friday afternoon, four tornadoes earned ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which rates tornadoes based on damage left behind.
Two tornadoes — one in Cowley County and another in Labette County — touched down briefly and then fell apart, said Vanessa Pearce, a meteorologist with the weather service.
The strongest of Thursday's tornadoes touched down a mile west of Kipp in Saline County at about 4:20 p.m. and stayed on the ground for more than six miles, Pearce said. It had peak winds of 140 miles an hour and was 140 yards wide.
It destroyed a manufactured house held down by straps, Pearce said. It also rolled a Jeep about 200 yards and damaged farm equipment.
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