Live updates: Tornado watch canceled in KC metro after warnings, storms
Severe thunderstorms were sweeping through the Kansas City metro Tuesday afternoon, prompting the National Weather Service to issue tornado warnings.
The weather service issued a tornado warning Tuesday afternoon for the Gardner, Spring Hill and Edgerton areas. At 1:45 p.m., radar indicated that there was rotation in a severe thunderstorm over Edgerton that was moving to the east at 40 mph.
The warning was issued for northwestern Miami County and southwestern Johnson County, and included the cities of Olathe, Gardner, Spring Hill, Edgerton and Clare.
Shortly after 2 p.m., the weather service issued another tornado warning for southeastern Johnson County, northwestern Cass County and Southwestern Jackson County.
A quick-moving thunderstorm was over Overland Park and was moving east at 40 mph. Radar indicated a rotation within the storm.
The storm was expected to impact Overland Park, Olathe, Lee’s Summit, Leawood, Raytown, Grandview, Belton, Raymore, Unity Village, and Stanley.
People in the storm’s path were urged to take cover. The warning was in effect until 2:45 p.m.
Around 3 p.m., the weather service issued a new tornado warnings for parts of Clay, Ray, Lafayette and Jackson Counties.
In a series of posts on social media, the National Weather Service warned that that twisters could be cutting across the central and southern part of the metro.
“A tornado likely moving through south KC along Brush Creek into the east side of the city,” the weather service said in all caps on X.
That was shortly followed by another post that said: “Tornado likely near the Truman Sports Complex near I-435 and I-70.”
About five minutes later, another warning came. “Tornado likely ongoing moving into western Independence now,” the weather service said in all caps.
Get the latest updates below.
KC area under tornado watch
The warning came minutes after the weather service issued a tornado watch for the Kansas City area, including three counties in Kansas and 20 counties in Missouri.
The National Weather Service issued the watch shortly after 1:40 p.m. as strong storms were moving through parts of the metro. The watch is in effect until 8 p.m.
The watch includes Johnson, Linn, and Miami counties in Kansas, as well as Jackson, Bates, Cass, Henry, Johnson, Lafayette, Ray, Adair, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Randolph, Sullivan, Cooper, Howard, Pettis, and Saline counties in Missouri.
The cities included in the watch are Belton, Butler, Carrollton, Clinton, Harrisonville, Independence, Kansas City, Lenexa, Louisburg, Moberly, Odessa, Olathe, Overland Park, Pleasant Hill, Raymore, Sedalia, and Shawnee.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 2:06 PM.
