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F3 tornado in Woodson County, Kansas

Tornado May 8, 2003 · Woodson County, Kansas

F3
Rating
22.0 mi
Path length
350 yd
Path width
3
Injuries
$2.5M
Damage as recorded
$261K
Crop damage
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

NOAA recorded where this tornado touched down but not where it lifted, so it appears as a point. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Damage summary: Toronto: Outbuildings destroyed. 1N Toronto: Trees & limbs downed. 1W Batesville: Large trees uprooted and sheared off, sheet metal in trees, old wood shed destroyed. 1N Batesville: Oil tank 12-15 feet high toppled (leaked profusely), power pole blown over. 2NE Batesville: House destroyed, 2 vehicles heavily damaged, pair of 2-3 foot diameter trees stripped 4 feet off ground. 3-4NE Batesville: Cattle barn & garage destroyed, windows blown out of house, large pick-up truck rolled onto side. 1N Yates Center: House & barn destroyed on Highway 75, horse trailer flipped over, large trees uprooted or snapped off at bases, broke or toppled 70 grave markers at the cemetery. 1NW Yates Center: Two-story house and 3 barns destroyed, trees completely shreaded. Yates Center: Five homes destroyed and 30 damaged. Two of the three injuries occurred at one residence with both requiring transport to a hospital. Forty-five miles of fence damaged. Stored hay contaminated by embedding of wiring and nails. Estimated crop losses: Corn: 300 acres. Wheat: 100 acres. Pasture: 1312 acres. Hay: 655 acres. Of the estimated $2.5 million damage, $1.506 million inflicted upon farming facilities. Farming facility damage breakdown: Dwellings and Service Buildings: $900,000; Structures: $6,000; Machinery & equipment: $600,000. USDA Flash Situation Report contributed greatly to this narrative. This tornado would cross just barely into extreme Northwest Allen County.

Began near Toronto (37.5667, -97.1333).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

8 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

F1 Butler CountyF1 Allen CountyF1 Greenwood CountyF0 Montgomery CountyF0 Labette CountyF0 Greenwood CountyF0 Montgomery CountyF0 Allen County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5349757. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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