1990-03-13: Hesston Kansas tornado outbreak

[STurner]

This tornado outbreak is very interesting to me because during that time I was like 9 years old and did not have a lot of interest in tornadoes. Even though I remember it and one of those tornadoes rated F4 on the fujita scale stayed on the ground for 130 miles and 2 and a half hours. I know dewpoints were not extremely high(56-62F) and upper 60s to middle 70s. I would like to know from a meteorlogical perspective of what ingredients sparked this historical tornado outbreak. Also how many of you chased this event during that time.

 

[Shane Adams]

Even though I remember it and one of those tornadoes rated F4 on the fujita scale.

Actually, two of those tornadoes were rated F5.

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Here is a quick sketch of the layout at noon on 3/13/90:

There was an MCS that had gone through central Kansas earlier in the morning, and this was instrumental in laying down an outflow boundary that receded northward through Wichita during the afternoon. The towering cumulus field along the KS/OK border is what picked up the outflow boundary and developed into the Hesston supercell. The towering cumulus shown near WaKeeney above is what moved into southeast Nebraska and produced the tornadoes there.

WaKeeney... nobody knows where that is. Scratch that and read it as Quinter.

Tim

 

[STurner]

Actually, two of those tornadoes were rated F5.

Yeah I just remember during that time about the F4 tornado that stayed on the ground for 130miles and 2 and a half hours. I believe it was the Hesston and Gossell Kansas tornadoes were rated F5 and they were pretty long-lived and long-tracked.

 

[Lanny Dean]

130 miles what????????? As usual I do not know where this information is coming from either.
If I remember correctly 2 tornadoes basically merged near or before the Gossel area and this was one area that was given the F-5 rating. I can not remember the other.
I believe Jon Davies was chasing this event and not only got some great pictures but also has a detailed chase summary of the event. I think there is even a book called "Year Of The Storms of 1990" (I am unsure of the exact name) but I believe Jon helped with pictures and stories of this event, if anybody knows about the exacts of the event it would be him. His website is listed below:
http://www.jondavies.net/

 

[Danny Neal]

I believe there WAS a 131 mile track in SC to SE NE from Red Cloud, NE to Schuyler. This is an event I wish I could have chased. But for obvious reasons (I was 2 years old) I couldn't. I was once obsessed with finding information about the Hesston tornado. The first time I ever saw the (in)famous Hesston tornado tearing through town, I was in amazement. Especially for that period of time it broke down into multiple vortices. Just seeing those "tentacles" as they called it, sucking up debris from 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away was just jaw-dropping. Witnessing that power firsthand is a feeling unlike any other. Unfortunately many of us have and had to deal with the after effects ala Moore, Greensburg, Hesston, Andover etc etc.

 

[STurner]

130 miles what????????? As usual I do not know where this information is coming from either.
If I remember correctly 2 tornadoes basically merged near or before the Gossel area and this was one area that was given the F-5 rating. I can not remember the other.
I believe Jon Davies was chasing this event and not only got some great pictures but also has a detailed chase summary of the event. I think there is even a book called "Year Of The Storms of 1990" (I am unsure of the exact name) but I believe Jon helped with pictures and stories of this event, if anybody knows about the exacts of the event it would be him. His website is listed below:
http://www.jondavies.net/

Yeah Lanny there really was an F4 tornado also that day that crossed six or seven counties in Nebraska and it is listed under the tornado history project as 131miles. It was one of the four violent tornadoes during this outbreak.

 

[Paul Townsend]

Also, the two F-5's in the outbreak were the 2 members of the "merger"; the so-called Hesston and Goessel tornadoes.

I was living in western suburbia of Chicago at the time, going to college. I remember talk of a possible big event leading up to the day. My friends chided me about not being there since they knew I was a severe storm/tornado nut.

 

[Eric D B'Hymer]

Jon Davies has a case study of the Hesston tornado day, as soon as i find the link i will post it. I believe NWS ICT has some info buried in their website also. I grew up 8 miles from there in Halstead and i was in Hesston on Day 2 for cleanup and it was an amazing mess. Several locals have video of the event and i think i still have a copy of it on VHS.

 

[Leah Robertson]

Here is the case study John Davies, Dr. Doswell, and others wrote regarding the Hesston torndao: Link

It's a terrific read. No surprise considering who the authors are...

 

[Eric D B'Hymer]

Thank you Leah, i was gonna tell people i have the report saved in PDF form on my computer and i could email it, now i wont have to. BTW - this report is a very good read if you are interested.

 

[joel ewing]

FYI, I've got that book "Year of the Storms" (or whatever it is called..I've got it tucked away) detailing that outbreak in Kansas, as well as another one on the subject.
As far north as northeast Nebraska (Boone County) where our family has farms was tornadoed that day as well. Looking at the low dews up there in the illustration, it just goes to show how dynamics can get it done on marginal days.
I also have a copy of "Nebraskaland Magazine" from a month or two after that event. The article detailed how the long, long tracked tornado that went thru the Platte River Valley was responsible for killing something like millions of snow geese, complete with pics et al.

 

[Damon Scott Hynes]

This was before I chased--in fact I never knew anyone did chase storms!

I was working that day, stuck in grunge all day long in Omaha while all hell was breaking loose just 120 mi. away. Media painted a picture that the stuff was going to get to OMA...sometime...but when I got home and was able to sit in front of the TV it was clear that it was going to be nocturnal and weaker. My cable provider carried a Lincoln/Grand Island station and that was interesting--wall-to-wall and lots of video!

 

[Brody Flavin]

Born and raised in Newton, SE of Hesston by about 5 miles. I had family living in Hesston when the tornado hit. I recall going up there a week or two after it hit and looking at my great uncle's house. They were fortunate in that they didn't lose everything, the house was damaged but still habitable. I know my dad spent a day or two up there since he was a firefighter/paramedic for Newton at the time.

 

[Andrew Stoller]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn8Adyl-vt4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DhmQR0SEEs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jVPuqJoeEI&feature=related