ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER & DON RATZLAFF
Reports of tornado sightings abounded in Marion County Sunday afternoon, but apparently the storm caused little or no damage.
Coffee-table discussions reported a tree pulled out by the roots and a straw trail left across a pasture by a twister. The Kansas Emergency Office confirmed 16 tornados in the state.
Marcel Benda, who lives on 180th Road east of Sunflower, said he saw a tornado descend from the clouds about two miles south of his home. It appeared to nearly touch the ground before dissipating, he said.
Benda said he couldn’t find any damage done by the tornado.
Faye Makovec, county register of deeds, said she hadn’t seen a tornado in the 45 years she has lived south of Kansas Highway 150 four miles east of Marion-until Sunday.
Like Benda, Makovec said she saw a tornado descend from the clouds nearly to the ground far to the northeast of her home. Then it dissipated, she said.
Makovec said the tornado appeared to be a small one compared to the ones she has seen on television, and it never became dark.
Michelle Abbott-Becker, director of Marion County Communications, said sirens were activated in Lincolnville in northern Marion County. A funnel was sighted south of Pilsen and again north of Lincolnville near Centre High School.
Abbott-Becker said she and Sheriff Lee Becker, who live in Lincolnville, saw a “weak” tornado that was light-colored and rope-like along 220th around Bluestem and Clover, but apparently the twister was not carrying debris.
She said reports that came to her office were of negligible damage caused by the storm.
