Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 NWS Classifies Kansas Tornado As EF-3 After Preliminary Damage Assessment
Officials with the National Weather Service say the tornado that rocked Andover, Kansas appears to be an EF-3. On Twitter, N-W-S Wichita say they made that classification after a preliminary damage assessment. The EF-3 classification means the storm had winds of at least 136 miles per hour on Friday night. Fire Chief Chad Russell says about a thousand buildings were damaged or destroyed. The federal Storm Prediction Center says at least 15 tornadoes were reported Friday, including in Kansas, Nebraska, and Florida. Meanwhile, three University of Oklahoma meteorology students are dead after a trip to chase storms in Kansas. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the students – 20-year-old Nicholas Nair of Denton, Texas; 19-year-old Gavin Short of Grayslake, Illinois; and 22-year-old Drake Brooks of Evansville, Indiana – were on their way back when their car hydroplaned because of rainy conditions in the Norman area. Their car was then hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 35.
2 Pelosi, Zelensky Meet In Kyiv
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the purpose of her visit to Kyiv is to send a clear message to the world that "America stands with Ukraine." Pelosi made the comment in a news conference in Poland following a surprise meeting with President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine's capital city. The Speaker's office announced that Pelosi and several other members of Congress met with the Ukrainian president to discuss sanctions on Russia and additional U.S. support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development is urging Congress to quickly approve emergency aid for Ukraine. On a related note, the evacuation of civilians from a steel plant in the beleaguered city of Mariupol has been paused. Zelenskyy announced early yesterday that civilians had begun to be evacuated from the plant. That's now on hold until today. Zelenskyy said more than 100 civilians were able to get out. Hundreds more are believed to be inside, as it was the last Ukrainian holdout after weeks of Russian attacks on the city.
3 Manhunt For Inmate And Officer
The search continues for an escaped Alabama inmate and a missing corrections officer. Federal authorities have joined the search for capital murder suspect Casey Cole White, who escaped early Friday when he was being driven to a court appearance in northern Alabama by corrections officer Vicky White, no relation. The pair never showed up, and while it was believed to be an abduction at first. the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office now says the evidence suggests that she helped the prisoner escape. “She coordinates all the transports from the detention center to the courts and so forth, so I’m sure her subordinates didn’t question her,” Sheriff Rick Singleton offered. “I can tell you every employee of this office is shocked.” The inmate is considered extremely dangerous and a serious threat to the public. Authorities say he's six-foot-six and weighs 250 pounds, and that it's not safe to approach him.