Senator Moran (seen above) talks with Sedgwick County Commissioner Dave Unruh during his visit to the Oaklawn neighborhood badly damaged Saturday night.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kansas Senator Jerry Moran Sunday, toured southeast Wichita to visit with local residents affected by a devastating tornado that struck the community on Saturday night.

Sen. Moran joined Governor Sam Brownback and local, county, and state officials in the hardest hit areas and to receive an update on relief efforts. An initial damage estimate for Sedgwick County alone exceeds $280 million.

“As I witnessed the destruction at McConnell Air Force Base, Pinnaire Mobile Home Park and the Oaklawn neighborhood, is was clear that the damage goes far beyond buildings; this storm impacted countless families, business owners and their employees,” Sen. Moran said. “And less than 24 hours after the tornado, Kansans have already reached out to their neighbors to help meet their needs. One group that’s making a difference is the Salvation Army, which provided shelter to more than 200 people immediately after the tornado and has provided water and meals to more than 600 first responders and affected residents. My thoughts and prayers go out to residents and business owners who suffered great loss and devastation. I pledge to do whatever I can to support the recovery effort in Sedgwick County and throughout our great state.”

The tornado that hit Wichita was estimate by the National Weather Service to be an EF-3, with maximum winds of 165 mph. An EF-5 is the most powerful. It was part of a severe weather system that produced 75-tornado reports across the Midwest by Sunday morning.