Most of you have heard about the devastating tornadoes that occurred in
Oklahoma and Kansas a couple of weeks ago.  These were unusually strong
tornadoes which caused severe damage.  I've received several inquiries
from MMD'ers about these storms.  Yesterday, I was in Wichita and took
the opportunity to view the damage firsthand.  I used to live in Wichi-
ta and the tornado hit quite close to my old neighborhood.  For a map
of the storm's route, go to:

  http://www.wichitaeagle.com/news/weather/tornado/damagemap0507.htm

I lived on MacArthur, west of Seneca (just below the [Interstate] 235
shield on the map mentioned above).

First of all, let me say that Player Piano Company was a long way from
the tornado's path, so it was not damaged.

From the downtown area, I drove south on Seneca, one of the many
arterial streets in Wichita.  As I neared MacArthur, I could see
Lakeshore Mobile Home Park which sustained major damage.  Pieces of
mobile homes were strewn about and limbs torn off trees.  About 100
yards from the shredded mobile homes, others were virtually intact.
Two restaurants that overlook the lake (which is more like a pond) were
undamaged and open for business as usual.

I then turned west at MacArthur to check out my old neighborhood.  The
area was practically unaffected, as if nothing had happened.   It is
amazing how a tornado can hit one area with pinpoint accuracy and leave
another area untouched just a few feet away.  Elsewhere, I saw people
whose houses were intact mowing their lawns and carrying on normally,
while their neighbors' houses just a short distance away had been
demolished by the storm.

I then continued south on Seneca and began to see even greater damage.
An apartment complex had been ripped apart, with roofs torn off, walls
shattered, and pieces scattered everywhere.  A nearby tennis court had
a chain link fence surrounding it, and the poles holding up the fence
were bent over, attesting to the storm's strength.  Across the street
from the tennis court, other apartment buildings in the same complex
were intact.

On Seneca Street, there was a bakery distribution warehouse and outlet
store where I used to shop.  It was a good sized building, but it's
gone now.  Only a portion of the front of the store remains (barely).
You could still see bread on the racks in what was left of the store.
The front of the store was brick which is why that part survived a
little better, but the brick walls weren't enough to protect it
entirely.

I continued driving south on Seneca just past 55th Street where the
damage increased even more.  There were big piles of splintered boards
and other debris along both sides of the road.  An upside-down truck
was in the middle of a field, a long way from any road.  There were
pieces of power line connectors (the big ones) twisted and lying to the
side of the road.

I had originally planned to drive down to Haysville which sustained
substantial damage but changed my mind.  Even though almost all the
debris had been cleared off the streets, there were still boards,
shingles, or pieces of metal lying in the street that drivers had to
veer around.  I didn't want to risk getting a nail in a tire.  Besides,
by this time I had already seen plenty.

I took some pictures of the damage and will try to get them posted at
the Foxtail web site soon.  Living in Kansas, I've seen tornado and
high wind damage before.  But, the damage from these recent storms is
the worst I've ever seen.  The pictures on television just don't
capture how devastating and widespread the tornadoes were.

Joyce Brite