First tornado of the year in Kansas City region damages Paola church

The first tornado reported this year in the Kansas City region tore off part of a Paola, Kansas, church roof and knocked over headstones in a nearby cemetery.

The tornado lasted three minutes and measured about 15 yards wide, said Jason Leighton, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

It was reported at 4:10 a.m. Monday, a few miles south of Paola.

Trinity Lutheran Church suffered damage to its roof. The storm also toppled headstones and bent a flag pole, Leighton said.

The twister developed as part of a line of storms that moved through the area. Winds were estimated at 80 to 85 mph, making it an EF-0 tornado, the lowest classification for tornadoes.

Leighton said it was the first tornado reported this year to the National Weather Service’s Kansas City/Pleasant Hill office in the counties it covers.

This story was originally published April 29, 2019 at 10:54 PM with the headline "First tornado of the year in Kansas City region damages Paola church."