Eureka tornado: Storm batters Kansas town leaving at least five injured

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A tornado has torn through eastern Kansas, leaving at least five people injured.

At least one person is in critical condition at an area hospital, according to local first responders.

Eureka, Kansas, a town of approximately 2,400 residents, bore the brunt of the damage to homes and buildings.

Several trees were uprooted and electricity is out for nearly 6,000 people in the immediate area. Westar Energy company said at least 1,800 of those were in Eureka.

According to the local NBC News affiliate, the Greenwood County Sheriff said people only had about four minutes warning, even with an emergency siren, before the tornado came through.

Galdis Tannahill told the local news station KWCH: “You looked out and see all the metal flying by and all the trees and it just kept blowing”.

Resident Lane Neighbors said he and family were “all freaking out”.

"We felt the vibrations. The door was swinging open, vibrating...We were probably in there for two, three minutes. It felt like hours but everything was gone when we came back out,” he said.

Kansas Governor Jeff Coyler has declared a state of emergency, with the storm being the second to hit the town in as many years.

In July 2016, the town had been hit by another tornado that caused severe damage.

Rescue crews spent much of the night going through each building, searching for survivors and assessing structural damage.

Displaced residents have been taking refuge in a local church and two Red Cross shelters.

The state’s Department of Transportation has also closed highways running through the area and cautioned people to avoid certain roads due to downed trees and power lines.