Central US Tornado Outbreak of 1990

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Central US Tornado Outbreak of 1990

Date of tornado outbreak:

March 13, 1990

Duration¹:

?? hours

Maximum rated tornado²:

F5 tornado

Tornadoes caused:

56 confirmed

Damages:

$??? million

Fatalities:

Areas affected:

Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa.

¹Time from first tornado to last tornado
²Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

This was one of the most widespread and violent tornado outbreaks of the central plains. It produced 4 violent tornadoes; two of which were rated F5. An F4 tornado left a nearly 100 mile track across eastern Nebraska. The most publicized tornado of this outbreak struck Hesston, Kansas.

1 Overview
2 Reported Tornadoes
3 The Hesston and Gossel Tornado Family
4 See also
5 Resources

[edit] Overview

The Central US Tornado Outbreak of March 13, 1990 was one of the most violent outbreaks March has ever seen (second only to the Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak of 1965 in terms of violent tornadoes, and the March 2006 Tornado Outbreak Sequence in terms of the total number of tornadoes reported). Numerous tornadoes touched down across Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Two tornadic thunderstroms with exceptional lifespans/tornado families were observed; one produced an F4 tornado in Eastern Nebraska that was on the ground for over 100 miles. The other produced an extensive tornado family in southern Kansas that included two F5 tornadoes. The first of these struck the town of Hesston, Kansas, and was one of the most photographed and documented violent tornadoes in history.

Table of confirmed tornadoes - after surveys by local weather service offices

Confirmed Total	Confirmed F0	Confirmed F1	Confirmed F2	Confirmed F3	Confirmed F4	Confirmed F5
59	10	22	13	10	2	2

(based on NOAA Storm Data)

[edit] Reported Tornadoes

[edit] March 11 event

F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length
Kansas
F0	Reno	Reno	2300	unknown
F1	Rice	Rice	2315	14 miles (22.6 km)
Sources: NOAA Storm Data

[edit] March 12 event

F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length
Iowa
F0	Lee	Lee	0440	unknown
Kansas
F1	Jefferson	Jefferson	0549	3 miles (4.8 km)
F1	Shawnee, Jefferson	Shawnee, Jefferson	0610	7 miles (8.0 km)
Sources: NOAA Storm Data

[edit] March 13 event

F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Kansas
F1	Hodgeman	Hodgeman	0836	1 miles (1.6 km)
F5	Castleton to Hesston	Reno, Harvey, McPherson	0836	48 miles (77.8 km)	1 death - see section on this
F5	Gossel Area	Harvey, McPherson, Marion	0836	22.0 miles (35.7 km)	1 death - see section on this
Sources: NOAA Storm Data

[edit] The Hesston and Gossel Tornado Family

The storms that struck Hesston and Gossel were both spawned by the same Supercell Thunderstorm. They were part of what is known as a Tornado Family; a family that included several additional touchdowns after the Gossel storm dissipated.

The first tornado of the Hesston storm touched down at approximately 4:34 p.m. CDT just to the northeast of Pretty Prairie. It was initially between 200 and 500 yards in diameter, and caused minimal (F1-F2) damage as it churned between Castleton and the Cheney Reservoir. Photographic evidence suggusts significant widening as the tornado approached Haven and the Arkansas River. The damage path ranged between 1/2 and 3/4 miles near Haven, and several homes were completely demolished indicating F4 damage. Had the tornado moved through a more populated area in this stage of its life, it is likely that it would have caused much more dramatic damage. Fairly constant F3 damage was produced from Haven to Burlington and to the Little Arkansas River. The path width remained over 1/2 mile in diameter.

Northeast of the Little Arkasnas, the track abruptly decreased in width from 1/2 mile to just over 300 yards. Photographs suggust what appears to be a re-organization of the tornadic circulation; initially a wedge like appearance, the funnel quckly became tall and narrow. The most significant damage was done in this stage, however. The tornado plowed into the town of Hesston, just northwest of Newton on I-135. Numerous homes and businesses were destroyed, and several were swept completely from their foundations. Portions of the damage path in Hesston were rated F5. 59 people were injured; fortunately, only one fatality was reported.

The series of events that occurred as the tornado moved past the Hesston area were most interesting. Eyewitness accounts observed the touchdown of an additional tornado just to the north. Over the course of a few miles, the new tornado intensified and the original one diminished. Eventually, the Hesston storm (after having traveled for nearly 48 miles) merged with the new funnel, and the system began to re-intensify. Violent damage was produced by the second tornado in Marion county; several homes were again completely demolished and swept away and one additional fatality was reported. The storm passed Gossel and then dissipated approximately 22 miles from its genesis. It was also rated F5.