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On This Day in 1990: Prolific Great Plains Tornado Outbreak
March 12, 2023 at 04:12 PM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Matt Mehallow
A prolific tornado outbreak impacted portions of the Great Plains and Midwest from Iowa to Texas from March 11 to 13. The outbreak produced at least 64 tornadoes, with most of the tornadic activity occurring on March 13.
After there were isolated tornadoes reported on the Plains on March 11 and March 12, the setup for the main outbreak on March 13 featured an upper-level low pressure system that dug into the Plains and the emergence of a low on the eastern side of the Rockies that moved northeast from eastern Colorado into western Kansas.
Plentiful moisture surged northward from the Gulf of Mexico out ahead of the low pressure while there was a well-defined dryline extending from western Kansas into western Texas. Temperatures reached the 60s and 70s in Nebraska and Kansas as dew points increased to the 60s due to stout southerly winds. Morning atmospheric observations across the Great Plains indicated an increasingly volatile atmosphere, with strengthening low-level winds and favorable wind shear.
Though an early-morning mesoscale convective system dissipated by the early afternoon on March 13, it left behind outflow boundaries across central and eastern Kansas that would help foster explosive supercell development. By 3 p.m., thunderstorms started to erupt, and by 4:30 p.m., the first F5 of the day formed. This tornado was part of a particularly vicious family of powerful tornadoes that were spawned by a supercell that moved through central Kansas.
The first F5 tornado wreaked havoc first in Haven and then in Hesston, Kan., causing nearly 25 million dollars in damage across Harvey County alone. The tornado finally started to weaken as it passed into McPherson County. However, as it weakened, another tornado developed and traveled nearly parallel to the dissipating Hesston Tornado. The two tornadoes eventually combined into one large tornado and continued into Marion County. This tornado was also rated an F5 on the Fujita Scale.
Video of the Hesston tornado tearing a town apart served as a warning to the public about how destructive significant tornadoes can be. The "Hesston tornado" touched down southwest of Hesston, but as it impacted the city, it intensified to an F5 storm. Around 226 residences and 21 businesses were damaged or destroyed, with 30 buildings being completely destroyed and 90 others being irreparably damaged.
Fortunately, only two people, one in each of the F5 tornadoes, died during the tornado onslaught. However, over 80 others were injured, with 60 of those injuries from the first Hesston tornado. The low total death toll is credited to accurate and timely warnings from the National Weather Service, high visibility, and the fact that many tornadoes did not affect populated areas.
Source(s): National Weather Service, spc.noaa.gov
Story Image: The Hesston, Kansas tornado of March 13, 1990. (Wichita Eagle/Wikimedia Commons)
After there were isolated tornadoes reported on the Plains on March 11 and March 12, the setup for the main outbreak on March 13 featured an upper-level low pressure system that dug into the Plains and the emergence of a low on the eastern side of the Rockies that moved northeast from eastern Colorado into western Kansas.
Plentiful moisture surged northward from the Gulf of Mexico out ahead of the low pressure while there was a well-defined dryline extending from western Kansas into western Texas. Temperatures reached the 60s and 70s in Nebraska and Kansas as dew points increased to the 60s due to stout southerly winds. Morning atmospheric observations across the Great Plains indicated an increasingly volatile atmosphere, with strengthening low-level winds and favorable wind shear.
Though an early-morning mesoscale convective system dissipated by the early afternoon on March 13, it left behind outflow boundaries across central and eastern Kansas that would help foster explosive supercell development. By 3 p.m., thunderstorms started to erupt, and by 4:30 p.m., the first F5 of the day formed. This tornado was part of a particularly vicious family of powerful tornadoes that were spawned by a supercell that moved through central Kansas.
The first F5 tornado wreaked havoc first in Haven and then in Hesston, Kan., causing nearly 25 million dollars in damage across Harvey County alone. The tornado finally started to weaken as it passed into McPherson County. However, as it weakened, another tornado developed and traveled nearly parallel to the dissipating Hesston Tornado. The two tornadoes eventually combined into one large tornado and continued into Marion County. This tornado was also rated an F5 on the Fujita Scale.
Video of the Hesston tornado tearing a town apart served as a warning to the public about how destructive significant tornadoes can be. The "Hesston tornado" touched down southwest of Hesston, but as it impacted the city, it intensified to an F5 storm. Around 226 residences and 21 businesses were damaged or destroyed, with 30 buildings being completely destroyed and 90 others being irreparably damaged.
Fortunately, only two people, one in each of the F5 tornadoes, died during the tornado onslaught. However, over 80 others were injured, with 60 of those injuries from the first Hesston tornado. The low total death toll is credited to accurate and timely warnings from the National Weather Service, high visibility, and the fact that many tornadoes did not affect populated areas.
Source(s): National Weather Service, spc.noaa.gov
Story Image: The Hesston, Kansas tornado of March 13, 1990. (Wichita Eagle/Wikimedia Commons)