An EF1 tornado caused the storm damage sustained by three families northeast of Winfield Thursday evening, according to?Cowley County Emergency Manager Brian Stone.
"It was considered a weak tornado," Stone said. "It was at least tree-top."
An EF0 tornado is the smallest on the rating scale. Winds in an EF1 tornado range from 86 to 110 miles an hour.
Two meteorologists from the National Weather Service Office in Wichita tracked the one-and-a-quarter-mile path of the tornado Friday morning with Stone. The county was under a severe thunderstorm warning when the tornado hit at 11:15 p.m. There was also a spotter in the area, he said.
No damage estimate is available. The tornado passed over some heavy wooded areas and some open fields. All three families lived within a half mile of each other.
Rod Haney, 15833 136th Road; Robert Hull, 14653 151st Road, and Stacy Pippit, 15577 136th Road,? sustained damage.
The heavy rains over the past few weeks have caused rivers and creeks to rise. Minor flooding is forecast although one resident and her two dogs were rescued late this morning after Grouse Creek flood water surrounded her home. Mary? Pollan lives at 15892 251st? Road between Cambridge and Dexter.
"She requested help getting out of her house," Winfield Fire?Captain?Darryl Littrell said. "We used a boat to get to the residence. There was water in the house. The dike around the residence was keeping water out of the house."
Hull was going to stay with friends, he said.
The Walnut and Arkansas rivers are expected to crest Saturday. Stone said there is a slight chance for thunderstorms Sunday.
Four roads were closed late Friday afternoon by flood waters:
251st? Road, north of Cambridge at the Grouse Creek bridge.
26th Road west of Rock
Grouse Creek Road south of Dexter
202nd Road, 3/4 of a mile west of Dexter
