This Day in History: Devastating Topeka, Kansas Tornado

Today marks the 54th anniversary of one of the most devastating and deadly tornadoes in Kansas history. The massive Topeka, Kan., tornado tore through the city in 1966, leaving behind a trail of destruction. This event even triggered meteorologists to do a study on tornado safety.

Located in the heart of the infamous Tornado Alley, Kansas residents are accustomed to the threat of tornados. However, few tornadoes strike populated areas and the magnitude of the storm that occurred on June 8, 1966 was unprecedented in Topeka.

The atmospheric setup was ripe for tornadoes that day. A robust low-pressure was moving across the Oklahoma Panhandle while a warm front was sweeping north out of Oklahoma into southern Kansas. By late afternoon, the low pressure had strengthened near Manhattan, Kan. The warm front pushed north of Interstate 70. Temperatures in eastern Kansas had surged into the lower to middle 80s with dewpoints in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees. The combination of warm and humid air and strong winds aloft meant the environment was conducive for severe thunderstorms producing tornadoes. Forecasters at what was then the U.S. Weather Bureau were confident enough to issue a Tornado Watch for eastern Kansas from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. CST.

During the afternoon, thunderstorms developed southwest of Topeka, Kan., and swept northeast towards the city. One particular thunderstorm produced a tornado that touched down around 6:55 p.m. CST west of Auburn, a town located about 10 miles southwest of Topeka. The tornado continued to track northeast, cutting a 22-mile-long path across the heart of Topeka. It grew to one-half mile wide at times and stayed on the ground for 34 minutes. It finally dissipated northeast of Topeka near Billard Airport around 7:29 p.m. The tornado left behind immense damage.

The aftermath yielded total devastation along an 8-block section in the center of Topeka. Washburn University campus was one of the hardest hit, with every building destroyed or heavily damaged. In total, around 800 homes and nearly 3,000 were damaged in Topeka. Even the State Capitol dome sustained damage from flying debris. Power in many parts of the city was out for weeks and hundreds were left homeless.

Using today’s Enhanced Fujita Scale that ranks tornado intensity by wind gusts, the 1996 Topeka tornado was classified at the highest ranking, an EF5. The tornado’s winds were estimated to have exceeded 250 mph. The tornado even prompted a study on the safest place to be in a house when a tornado threatens. The article, published in the Monthly Weather Review, indicated the north and central parts of first-floor homes and the north part of a home’s basement were the safest spots to be during a tornado.

The tornado’s price tag was $250 million (equivalent to $1.8 billion in 2020), making it the costliest twister in U.S. history at that time. The Topeka tornado now ranks as the fourth costliest tornado since 1950, having been surpassed by four other outbreaks, including the one that tore through Moore, Okla., on May 20, 2013, Tuscaloosa, Ala., on April 27, 2011 and the Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011.

Story Image: A tornado is seen approaching Topeka, Kan., on June 8, 1966. (Courtesy of the Topeka Capital-Journal and the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Topeka, Kan.)