Warsaw crews work to clear damage after two tornadoes hit Friday

WARSAW, Mo. (KMIZ)

Smoke was rising just past the empty playground at Warsaw North Elementary School on Monday afternoon.

While Warsaw R-9 students and staff had the day off after the district closed Monday for storm damage clean-up, city crews were hard at work burning downed trees and snapped limbs after severe storms.

Two tornadoes touched down in Benton County around 7:30 p.m. Friday near Warsaw, according to the National Weather Service in Springfield.

An approximately 300-yard EF-1 tornado tracked east across the northern side of Warsaw and stopped near Highway 65 after traveling a little over 2.5 miles. The NWS said it flipped multiple mobile homes that were sitting on cinder blocks.

Pitts Homes, Inc., a mobile home dealer in the 29100 block of Old Highway 65, was hit by Friday's storms.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw at least two flipped mobile homes and some that had blown off roofs or exterior damage. A spokesperson with Pitt Homes said all were display homes and no one was living inside.

A second tornado, an EF-0 about 200 yards long, caused damage to buildings and trees on Highway 83 and Route MM southeast of Warsaw. The maximum winds were recorded at 80 mph, the NWS said.

Power was reported to be restored on Monday after more than 4,500 customers were without power around 8:30 p.m. Friday. ABC 17 saw many electric crews still working to remove tree limbs and storm damage debris from power lines on Monday afternoon.

The Warsaw R-IX School District announced in a social media post that classes would resume Tuesday.

The district said cleanup crews worked to get the back drive of the John Boise Middle School/High School campus cleared for traffic. An ABC 17 reporter was able to drive through and saw the parking lot cleared around 12:30 p.m. Monday.

Internet and network services were fully restored, according to another social media post. While cleanup continues, the district said the high school will adjust classroom locations as needed.

A sign at the schools' entrance was seen blown out next to a downed tree.