Streets flooded, hail damages more than 40 cars at airport
Manhattan gets worst of Kansas thunderstorm
4:10 p.m. Monday, June 2, 2008
Manhattan — Piles of glass and flooded streets tell the story of a severe thunderstorm that ripped through Manhattan.
More than 40 cars are left with dents and broken windows at Manhattan Regional Airport, where softball-sized hail hit the cars.
Manhattan resident Debra Goreham is one of many who rushed to the airport to protect their vehicles.
“Heard that they had softball-sized hail here at the airport and my husband’s traveling with some of his co-workers, so they wanted us to come and check the status of their vehicles,” Goreham says.
Photo Gallery
Manhattan hail damage - Submitted photos
These photos were sent in via cell phone by Amanda Miller, of White City, whose husband's vehicle was damaged by the hail. Photos taken in Manhattan and Fort Riley.
Cars like this one were hit with many large hailstones, leaving holes in its window. Luckily, nobody was behind the wheel.
“Oh my gosh. It was hard to believe there was so much damage and pretty widespread,” she says. “Most of the vehicles here are in very bad shape, I’d say.”
Vehicles barely could drive through the flooded streets of West Manhattan, in which 9 inches of water covered some roads.
Riley County Police report no injuries were reported as a result of the thunderstorm.
Riley County emergency officials say they could not estimate when roads will clear up. They also report that no one was hurt during the storms.
Hail is bad for crops, too
Crops were not lucky in Manhattan. K-State Extension's experiment plots of corn were badly damaged by the hail. Agronomists say the plants that are broken over the growing point or near the soil will have a hard time bouncing back. Plants that still have their leaves intact could recover in a week or two.
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