KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in Platte County. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
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A Merriam couple is safe after an EF-0 tornado moved through the area Friday night, uprooting a large tree that crushed their home and the truck in their driveway.
Yadira Garcia and her husband took cover as the tornado moved through. Garcia said the storm gave little warning before it struck.
"It came out of nowhere," Garcia said.
The couple sheltered in place as the storm intensified around them.
"The windows sounded like they were about to burst or explode," Garcia said.
The tree that fell into their home caused significant damage, including to the roof and their red truck parked in the driveway. Garcia described the extent of the damage to the home.
"That front part right there waters going through it … it's going to definitely need to be replaced," Garcia said.
The National Weather Service says the tornado developed in northern Shawnee and tracked east into Merriam and along the I-35 corridor before crossing the state line and lifting in Westport Friday night.
The majority of the damage was to trees, with wind speeds reaching 75 miles per hour.
A neighbor of the Garcias, who also took cover as the storm moved through, surveyed the damage to the couple's truck.
"It's a terrible shame, it was a really nice truck," the neighbor said.
The neighbor described what he saw as the storm approached.
"I looked out the window, and it was straight-line winds coming down the street," the neighbor said.
Damage from the storm was reported across the metro area.
At St. Paul's Episcopal Day School near 40th and Main streets in Kansas City, Missouri, a fence was knocked down, and a tree was uprooted and fell away from the property.
Despite the damage to their home, the Garcias say they are grateful to be safe and are focused on moving forward.
"We will just trust the process and hope things get better," Garcia said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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