Our Thoughts And Prayers

After last night's tornadoes, which claimed two lives in Kansas (including one in the 2nd Congressional District) and did tens of millions of dollars worth of damage to the city of Manhattan, the campus of Kansas State University, and the 1st District community of Chapman, our thoughts and prayers are with all of the residents of each of those Kansas towns- and with all of the parents of students who might still be in Manhattan.

From the Topeka Capitol-Journal:

A tornado also hit the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, damaging several campus buildings and tossing cars around in parking lots. Several local businesses also received extensive damage, according to the National Weather Service.

"We have reports that the northern part of Kansas State University took a pretty good hit," said Weather Service meteorologist Ken Harding. "Cars were tossed and there is a lot of damage up there."

The university said in a statement that no injuries had been reported.

From the Manhattan Mercury:

A tornado between two and four blocks wide touched down near the Manhattan Regional airport late night Wednesday and bounced across Manhattan, the Kansas State University campus, and then went back up into the clouds near Moore Hall on the campus. It inflicted tens of millions of dollars of damage -- at least $20 million on the campus alone, authorities said.

[...]

No confirmed totals are available, but an estimated 30 homes in the Miller Ranch area -- in the southwest portion of the city -- have been flattened, with only foundations remaining. Many more are severely damaged. The University Heights area near E.J. Frick Drive was also hard-hit.

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, along with both United States Senators and Governor Kathleen Sebelius will be in Manhattan this evening to survey the damager