At least four people were injured, including two rescuers, after a tornado hit Kansas that left thousands without power and destroyed several structures.
High winds impacted the southeastern region of the cities of Wichita and Andover early Saturday morning and according to Andover Fire Chief Chad Russel, 966 buildings were impacted.
Some houses "went flying," he said.
Russel also confirmed that the people reported as injured are not seriously.
The system also affected the electricity wiring, causing a little more than 6,000 customers to lose power, however, on Saturday morning, more than 85% recovered service.
Damage to the YMCA building in Andover, Kansas. NBC News affiliate in Kansas
One of the most affected structures was the YMCA recreation building in Andover - a city of 15,000 inhabitants - which according to a statement suffered "significant damage".
“We are thankful that all staff and members sheltering at the branch at the time of the storm were not injured,” the YMCA said.
According to the National Weather Service, a strong storm system was bringing precipitation into the Gulf of Mexico and producing strong winds.
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"There will be a potential for significant tornadoes, destructive wind gusts and very large hail with a focus over southeastern Nebraska into eastern Kansas," the agency said Friday.
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More than 40 million people in the east of the country remain under tornado warning this weekend.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency due to disaster on Friday.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center, a total of 15 tornadoes were recorded on Friday, 14 of them in Kansas and Nebraska.
The other occurred in Florida.
Winds would have reached gusts of 113 to 157 miles per hour.
With information from
NBC News
and
The Associated Press