Weather or not?

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Some parts of Marion County were hit with winds from 70 to 90 mph early Sunday evening, causing damage to more than 30 outbuildings and three homes.

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Neighbors begin to dismantle what?s left of a steel building on the farm yard of Steve Hanneman southeast of Hillsboro. It was one of many buildings in the rural Ebenfeld community that was severely damaged by straight-line winds Sunday night.

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Traffic cones and a road grader served Monday morning as
warnings to drivers traveling along Kanza Road south of 190th. Heavy
rains across Marion County, especially the southern half, left this
low-lying area under water.

Similar to a weak tornado, straight-line winds that came with Sunday?s thunderstorm put it in the severe classification, according to Dick Elder, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Wichita, serving the Marion County area.

?From Wichita, most of the damage from the storm went from southwest to northeast,? he said.

Michele Abbott, director of Marion County Emergency Management, said residents needed to also pay attention to flooding as a result of the heavy rains Sunday. Reports of rainfall varied between 2 to 4 inches.

The Cottonwood River, she said, crested Monday night, with several county roads barricaded south of 190th.

The flooding also affected people in Florence and other nearby locations.

North of Antelope, Sunday?s storm caused damage in Remington, with one report citing a 60-foot-by-80-foot shed destroyed.

Closer to Hillsboro, reports of several lean-to structures?sheds with a sloped roof?were ruined.

One resident reported all outbuildings around his home were demolished, as well as some roof damage. The storm also took most of a roof off a home south of Hills?boro.

?We had calls ranging from trees and power lines down to outbuildings, machine shops and small barns completely destroyed,? said Rob Craft, Marion County sheriff.

Elder at the Wichita weather service office said it was also a good time to remind people about the importance of keeping an eye on severe thunderstorm warnings because they can be as strong and as damaging as a weak tornado.

This particular storm, he said, sat in Wichita for most of Sunday before gaining much of its strength between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

?It headed east into Harvey County, the town of Walton, Marion County and up (north) toward Antelope,? he said.

Elder said anyone looking at the radar around 6 p.m. probably saw the system, which started looking like the shape of an archer?s bow.

Whenever this kind of a storm begins ?bowing out? as it did Sunday, that?s indicative of strong straight-line winds that produce high winds and major damage, he said.

Severe thunderstorm warnings aren?t issued often, Elder said, but when they are, these can be as damaging as what was seen Sunday.

The major difference between a weak tornado and straight-line winds is the latter lasts longer.

In addition to local officials, the National Weather Service also had a group looking at the damage Monday.

Elder said the NWS team concurred with emergency management and the assessment team about the damage.

As residents begin recovering from the last storm, Elder said the forecast looks like more storms are headed this way.

For the rest of the week and early into next week, scattered thunderstorms will remain in the forecast.

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