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NOUS43 KICT 201200

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KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-201500-



Public Information Statement

National Weather Service Wichita KS

700 AM CDT Mon May 20 2024



...ON THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY...



In 1957, an F4 tornado cut a track of near total

devastation from Williamsburg Kansas through the

Southeast suburbs of Kansas City.  The track was 71 miles

long and nearly one half mile wide.  There 44 deaths and

531 injuries.  Of these totals, 7 deaths and 31 injuries

occurred in Kansas where many homes were leveled.  In

Missouri, 37 were killed and 500 more were injured.  Most

injuries and fatalities were in the Southeast Kansas City

suburbs of Ruskin Heights and Hickman Mills where F5

damage may have occurred to housing developments and to

some of the 15 stores at a shopping center.  It was the

worst weather related disaster to date in Kansas City. 

The most bizarre incident involved a small house that was

destroyed.  All that remained was a small table with a

fish bowl on top.  Reportedly, the fish continued to

swim, apparently unconcerned.  



&&



In 1916, Codell was struck by an F2 tornado with a track

15 miles long and nearly 450 yards wide.  There were no

injuries or fatalities but there was around $12,000

damage.  This marked the beginning of an eerie tornadic

occurrence, for tornadoes would strike Codell on May

20th, 1917 and again on May 20th, 1918.  Each successive

event would be more intense than its predecessor.  In

1917, an F3 twister with a track 25 miles long and three

fourths of a mile wide began 2 miles west of Codell. 

Fortunately, there were no deaths or injuries as the

twister struck rural areas.  In 1918, the eerie tornadic

"hat trick" was completed, but this event would be

deadly.  The strongest of the 3 tornadoes had a track 65

miles long and around one half mile wide.  This violent

F4 began 3 miles south of Ellis in Western Ellis County. 

Moving northeast, the tornado tore through Codell, where

many buildings were blown apart.  Amazingly there were no

deaths or injuries.  After leaving Codell, the tornado

greatly intensified.  Farms were leveled and 2 people

were killed.  The first fatality was 2 miles northeast of

Codell while the second was 6 miles northeast of town. 

The tornado then invaded Osborne County where around 30

farms were destroyed and one person was killed.  In all,

the tornado killed 9, injured 65, and caused around

$475,000 damage of which $50,000 occurred in Codell.  



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NOUS43 KGLD 201200

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Public Information Statement

National Weather Service Goodland KS

600 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024



...ON THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY...



In 2004, several decaying thunderstorms produced a minor heat burst

event just east of Lenora, Kansas. Temperatures across the area rose from

64 to 73 degrees between 10:50 pm and 12:30 am local time. Gusty winds

persisted for over 2 hours with some gusts reaching to near 70 mph.



$$