1966 Topeka tornado

Early June 1966 Tornado Outbreak Sequence

A photograph of the F5 Topeka, Kansas tornado.
Date of tornado outbreak:	June 3–12
Duration1:	~11 days
Maximum rated tornado2:	F5 tornado
Tornadoes caused:	59
Damages:	≥$104.639 million (1966 USD) ≥$694.79 million (2008 USD)
Fatalities:	18
Areas affected:	Most of the Great Plains and parts of the Eastern United States
1Time from first tornado to last tornado 2Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita Scale

The Early June 1966 Tornado Outbreak Sequence was a series of tornado outbreaks which occurred between June 2 and 12. 59 tornadoes were confirmed during the 11 day span which left 18 people dead and 543 injured.

Topeka, Kansas tornado

On June 8, 1966, Topeka, Kansas was struck by an F5 rated tornado. It started on the southwest side of town, moving northeast, passing over a local landmark named Burnett's Mound. According to a local Native American legend, this mound was thought to protect the city from tornadoes. It went on to rip through the city, hitting the downtown area and Washburn University. Total dollar cost was put at $100 million (US$ 716 million in 2012) making it one of the costliest tornadoes in history.

During the early evening of June 8 at 6:37PM CDT, a small tornado was reported in the college town of Manhattan, west-northwest of the city. As the tornado that would slash though Topeka began developing eighteen minutes later at 6:55PM, eight miles west of town, the National Weather Service could not detect the developing tornado on radar as the Topeka forecast office used a modified military radar that was donated by the government following World War II. While it was considered state-of-the-art for its time, it had a limited ability to detect tornadic activity, compared to the Doppler weather radar of the present day.

Damage path of the 1966 Topeka Tornado

Damage in downtown Topeka

Around 7:30PM CDT, a 1/4 to 1/2-mile (400–800 m) wide tornado tracked into the southwest side of town, moving northeast, and passed over Burnett's Mound. On the Washburn University campus, many students in the Carnegie Hall building were taking a test and disregarded the blaring storm sirens, until they heard the roar of the tornado when they decided to take shelter. Washburn suffered extensive damage to numerous buildings and one church. Bill Kurtis, then a reporter for WIBW-TV (channel 13; then a hybrid CBS/ABC/NBC affiliate, now only affiliated with CBS) wanted to urge people to take shelter from the devastating storm and advised viewers to "for God's sake, take cover."

It went on to rip through the central part of the city, hitting the downtown area. Buses were crushed as the transportation barn was collapsed by the tornado and the trains on the Santa Fe Railway were overturned. Many workers at the AT&T building downtown took shelter after a co-worker notified people of the approaching tornado, which they couldn't hear through the soundproof operating room. The building was narrowly hit, but only light damage occurred. The State Capitol building also experienced minor damage.

Homes and other buildings along the tornado's path were completely obliterated, and the National Weather Service Topeka forecast office years later rated this tornado as an F5 on the Fujita scale. Ironically as the storm raged on, meteorologists at the National Weather Service Topeka forecast office (located at the city's municipal airport) had to take shelter as well as the tornado tracked through the airport, flipping over several airplanes.

It was after the tornado ripped through the airport that at 7:29PM CDT, 34 minutes after it touched down, the tornado dissipated after having traversed twenty-two miles of the city, with a damage path width of 1/2 mile (800 m). The worst damage occurred on the east side of town, partly due to the close proximity of housing units.

Then-mayor Chuck Wright later issued a decree that those caught looting would be shot on sight. The Kansas National Guard was called in to handle the situation. Streets in devastated areas of the city were filled with sightseers checking out the ruins of homes and businesses hampering efforts from first responders to find those missing under rubble. Families of victims also came onto the scene to try to find those missing.

820 homes were destroyed and 3000 damaged. 250 businesses were destroyed and 2330 damaged including a major shopping center. 330 of the damaged homes and businesses suffered major damage and the other 5000 received lesser damages. Hundreds of apartments were destroyed and most of the Washburn University of Law and Philip Billard Municipal Airport were affected. Many government buildings, public buildings, other structures and much other property were damaged or destroyed.

Casualties

Outbreak death toll

State	Total	County	County total
Kansas	17	Leavenworth	1
		Shawnee	16
Illinois	1	Cook	1
Totals	18
All deaths were tornado-related

Total dollar cost from the storm was put at $100 million making it, at the time, one of the costliest tornadoes in American history. Even to this day, with inflation factored in, the Topeka tornado stands as the seventh costliest tornado on record.

The tornado killed 16 people, but many believe that had the tornado hit during school and work hours or during the night, that as many as 5,000 people would have been killed. Bill Kurtis was credited for saving many lives with his urgent message to take cover.

The Legend of Burnett's Mound

A myth that the tornado debunked was that a local landmark named Burnett's Mound would protect the city from tornadoes. According to a local Native American legend, if a tornado tracked approached Topeka, the 250-foot hill (named after Potawatomi Indian chief Abram Burnett, and also believed to be an ancient Native American burial ground) would cause them to disintegrate.

A few years earlier, a water tower was built directly on the mound, which sparked controversy by many Topeka residents as they felt it would negatively affect the mound's ability to keep the city safe from tornadoes.

However, ten other tornadoes had struck the city since Kansas state tornado records were first kept in 1887. This tornado was significantly stronger than the other ten tornadoes that struck Topeka prior to June 8.

Rick Douglass: A Survivor's Story

One amazing survivor's story was WREN radio reporter Rick Douglass, who was caught in the tornado after attempting to take shelter in an overpass, when attempting to report on the storm for the station. The tornado carried Douglass one block away. When he arrived at an area hospital, a nurse placed a cover over Douglas' face—believing he had perished—which he pulled off, to which Douglass says the nurse winced when that happened.

Douglas was found with dirt and debris covering his body, and in an interview with The History Channel's Wrath of God special on the tornado, it is said that Douglass found shards of debris in his skin for several years after the tornado and was left with a smell he described as "a mix of blood, guts, wood and metal" on him for several weeks.

Confirmed tornadoes

• 6 Tornadoes were confirmed but were not given an F-Scale intensity.

Confirmed Total	Confirmed F0	Confirmed F1	Confirmed F2	Confirmed F3	Confirmed F4	Confirmed F5
59	13	17	18	2	2	1

June 2 event

List of reported tornadoes - Friday, June 3, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
South Dakota
F?	Aurora	43.9°N 98.9°W / 43.9; -98.9	2300	0.1 miles (0.2 km) F0 Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity.
F0	Yankton	42.9°N 97.4°W / 42.9; -97.4	0200	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
Sources: [1], [2]

June 4 event

List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, June 4, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Colorado
F0	Logan	40.93°N 103.18°W / 40.93; -103.18	2300	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
Wisconsin
F2	Oconto	45.02°N 88.38°W / 45.02; -88.38	0100	5.4 miles (8.7 km)	Tornado caused $2,500 in damages. First of the F2 triplet tornadoes in Oconto County.
F2	Oconto	44.95°N 88.33°W / 44.95; -88.33	0100	4.9 miles (7.9 km)	Tornado caused $2,500 in damages. Second of the F2 triplet tornadoes in Oconto County.
F2	Oconto	44.88°N 88.3°W / 44.88; -88.3	0100	4.7 miles (7.6 km)	Tornado caused $2,500 in damages. Last of the F2 triplet tornadoes in Oconto County.
Nebraska
F?	Morrill	41.73°N 102.87°W / 41.73; -102.87	0148	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
South Dakota
F2	Gregory	43.23°N 99.43°W / 43.23; -99.43	330	1 mile (1.6 km)	Brief touchdown. 1.5 mile wide tornado caused $250,000 in damages.

June 5 event

List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, June 5, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Nebraska
F2	Boone	41.7°N 98.17°W / 41.7; -98.17	0608	0.7 miles (1.1 km)	1 Injury Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F?	Madison	41°N 97.6°W / 41; -97.6	0612	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity.
Minnesota
F0	Pipestone	43.97°N 96.08°W / 43.97; -96.08	1200	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $2,500 in damages.
Oklahoma
F0	Baine	35.85°N 98.47°W / 35.85; -98.47	2300	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F2	Kay	36.83°N 97.4°W / 36.83; -97.4	2350	2.5 miles (4.0 km)	1 Injury Caused $250,000 in damages.
F0	Garfield	36.48°N 97.88°W / 36.48; -97.88	0030	4.3 miles (6.9 km)	No damage reported. First of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes.
F1	Grant	36.67°N 97.62°W / 36.67; -97.62	0030	1.4 miles (2.3 km)	Quarter-mile-wide tornado caused $2,500 in damages.
F2	Garfield	36.47°N 97.88°W / 36.47; -97.88	0035	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	6 Injuries Brief touchdown, caused $250,000 in damages. Second of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes.
F0	Garfield	36.3°N 98.1°W / 36.3; -98.1	0055	3.8 miles (6.1 km)	Caused $25,000 in damages. Third of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes.
F1	Garfield	36.37°N 97.9°W / 36.37; -97.9	0100	5.7 miles (9.2 km)	Caused $250,000 in damages. Last of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes.
Missouri
F1	Gentry	40.23°N 94.28°W / 40.23; -94.28	0000	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $2,500 in damages.
Iowa
F2	Linn	42.28°N 91.5°W / 42.28; -91.5	0430	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no reported damage.

June 6 event

List of reported tornadoes - Monday, June 6, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Kentucky
F2	McCracken, Madison	36.97°N 88.62°W / 36.97; -88.62	1800	18.5 miles (29.8 km)	2 Injuries Long track tornado, caused $25,000 in damages.
Florida
F1	Pinellas	27.92°N 82.75°W / 27.92; -82.75	2030	0.3 miles (0.5 km)	1 Injury Brief touchdown, caused $250,000 in damages.

June 7 event

List of reported tornadoes - Tuesday, June 7, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Kansas
F?	Wallace	38.85°N 101.7°W / 38.85; -101.7	2310	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity.
F0	McPherson	38.2°N 97.52°W / 38.2; -97.52	2330	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $2,500 in damages.
F?	Ellis	38.78°N 99.48°W / 38.78; -99.48	0100	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $25,000 in damages. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity.
Missouri
F0	Stoddard	37.1°N 89.92°W / 37.1; -89.92	2330	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $250,000 in damages.
Oklahoma
F0	Ellis	37.1°N 89.92°W / 37.1; -89.92	0000	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.

June 8 event

List of reported tornadoes - Wednesday, June 8, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Florida
F0	Miami-Dade	25.75°N 80.25°W / 25.75; -80.25	1200	4.9 miles (7.9 km)	No damage reported.
F1	Miami-Dade	25.6°N 80.3°W / 25.6; -80.3	1700	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
Kansas
F0	Rice	38.25°N 98.4°W / 38.25; -98.4	2118	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F2	Clay	39.13°N 97.15°W / 39.13; -97.15	2337	8.9 miles (14.3 km)	Caused $25,000 in damage.
F3	Riley	39.07°N 96.77°W / 39.07; -96.77	0000	13.8 miles (22.2 km)	At least 65 Injuries. Enormous 1.2 mile wide tornado, caused $5 million in damage.
F5	Shawnee	38.92°N 95.92°W / 38.92; -95.92	0100	21.1 miles (34.0 km)	16 Deaths 450 Injuries. See section on this tornado
F2	Leavenworth	39.23°N 95.03°W / 39.23; -95.03	0115	8.2 miles (13.2 km)	Caused $25,000 in damage. First of two tornadoes to hit Leavenworth County.
F4	Leavenworth	39.17°N 95.18°W / 39.17; -95.18	0200	19.9 miles (32.0 km)	1 Death 2 Injuries. Caused $250,000 in damage. Second of two tornadoes to hit Leavenworth County.
Oklahoma
F1	Caddo	35.48°N 98.4°W / 35.48; -98.4	2330	0.5 miles (0.8 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $25,00 in damage.
F0	Washita	35.3°N 98.8°W / 35.3; -98.8	0000	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F0	Caddo	35.17°N 98.2°W / 35.17; -98.2	0120	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.

June 9 event

List of reported tornadoes - Thursday, June 9, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Illinois
F0	Cook	42.1°N 88.02°W / 42.1; -88.02	1110	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F2	Cook	42.1°N 88.02°W / 42.1; -88.02	1115	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F2	Cook	42.1°N 87.93°W / 42.1; -87.93	1120	2.5 miles (4.0 km)	1 Death 30 Injuries Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
Florida
F1	Jackson	30.8°N 85.23°W / 30.8; -85.23	1200	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F?	Jackson	30.8°N 85.23°W / 30.8; -85.23	1605	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity.
Michigan
F2	Barry	42.25°N 85.38°W / 42.25; -85.38	1400	2 miles (3.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $250,000 in damages.
New York
F0	Erie	42.63°N 78.55°W / 42.63; -78.55	2200	1 mile (1.6 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $2,500 in damages.

June 10 event

List of reported tornadoes - Friday, June 10, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Texas
F2	Swisher	34.35°N 101.73°W / 34.35; -101.73	0130	36.9 miles (59.4 km)	Long track tornado, no damage reported.
F1	Swisher	34.35°N 101.73°W / 34.35; -101.73	0130	2 miles (3.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F0	Swisher	34.65°N 101.5°W / 34.65; -101.5	0130	2 miles (3.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.

June 11 event

List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, June 11, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Minnesota
F1	Minnesota	47.18°N 95.92°W / 47.18; -95.92	2115	1.9 miles (3.1 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $25,000 in damages.
F4	Crow Wing, Cass	46.63°N 94.37°W / 46.63; -94.37	2300	72.8 miles (117.2 km)	Very long track half-mile-wide tornado, caused $250,000 in damages.
Iowa
F2	Polk	41.57°N 93.55°W / 41.57; -93.55	2345	12.2 miles (19.6 km)	Caused $25,000 in damages.
F2	Mitchell	43.38°N 92.9°W / 43.38; -92.9	0100	1 mile (1.6 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $25,000 in damages.
F1	Marshall	41.83°N 92.97°W / 41.83; -92.97	0145	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F2	Boone	42.08°N 93.87°W / 42.08; -93.87	0230	2 miles (3.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $25,000 in damages.
F1	Story	42.2°N 93.4°W / 42.2; -93.4	0300	2 miles (3.2 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $25,000 in damages.

June 12 event

List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, June 12, 1966
F#	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Kansas
F1	Douglas	39.05°N 95.45°W / 39.05; -95.45	2201	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
Missouri
F0	Clay	39.3°N 94.52°W / 39.3; -94.52	2245	0.1 miles (0.2 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.
F1	Monroe	39.52°N 92.17°W / 39.52; -92.17	2330	0.2 miles (0.3 km)	Brief touchdown, caused $250 in damages.
Texas
F3	Denton	33.3°N 97.0°W / 33.3; -97.0	0045	3.6 miles (5.8 km)	Brief touchdown, no damage reported.

See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of tornadoes striking downtown areas

External links

• Video of the tornado and damage VIDEO REMOVED
• Tornado Damage Patterns in Topeka, Kansas, June 8, 1966 (Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 95, No. 6)
  • Comments on “Tornado Damage Patterns in Topeka, Kansas, June 8, 1966” (Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 96, No. 3)
  • Reply (Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 96, No. 3)
• NWS Topeka page
• Topeka Capital-Journal online
• The Topeka Tornado of 1966: Never Before Published Damage Photos