Midwest cleans up after tornadoes, storms cut power

updated 2:47 p.m. ET June 14, 2004

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Severe thunderstorms swept through the Midwest, felling trees, cutting power and spawning tornadoes that destroyed homes and overturned cars.

Crews worked to restore power to thousands of residents Monday, following storms that caused at least one traffic death and a drowning.

About 2,000 travelers had to spend the night camped in a terminal at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport because their flights scheduled on Sunday were canceled by heavy rain.

All flights were expected to be back on schedule Monday afternoon, airport spokesman Ernie DeSoto said. He said did not know how many flights were canceled.

The estimated 3.86 inches of rain in Houston on Sunday also stalled highway traffic and halted MetroRail service, and more than 13,000 customers lost electricity.

At least six tornadoes touched down south of Wichita, Kan., destroying three homes, damaging more than a dozen others in Sumner County. Several funnel clouds were reported in Missouri.

Local coverage KXAS-TV, Dallas WYFF-TV, Greenville

A man drowned when large waves on Truman Lake, about 70 miles southeast of Kansas City, swamped his boat. His body was found along the shore Sunday, officials said.

A four year-old girl was killed in a multiple-car wreck Saturday when a car struck the vehicle she was in, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

About 110,000 customers in Kansas and Missouri lost power during the storm, and many remained without electricity on Monday.

“We’ve had extensive damage. But it’s not irreparable,” said director Virginia Lewis. Residents were expected to be able to return Monday.

In Michigan, severe thunderstorms spawned funnel clouds Sunday in the state’s Lower Peninsula. No injuries were immediately reported.

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