While May tends to be the peak for Kansas tornado season, October outbreaks aren’t uncommon. October 16th marks the anniversary of two such storms. In 1980, there was a brief touchdown at Munjor, KS. Four homes and a trailer were damaged during the storm. In 1998, a longer tornado began in eastern Trego county, steadily moving to the northeast before dissipating north of Hays. The tornado hit several farms in rural Ellis county and slammed into sparsely populated Yocemento. Fortunately, the tornado stayed just west and north of Hays where a high school football game was in progress. The tornado damaged or destroyed 10 homes, a grain elevator, many outbuildings, a tractor and a feedlot. There was one report of injury to the driver of a semi on I70.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu