F2 Tornado — Leavenworth, Kansas

2003-05-04 · near Linwood, Leavenworth, Kansas

Event narrative

Tornado on the ground 2 miles northwest of Linwood at County Road 25 and Interstate 70. Reported by emergency management and ham radio operator. Video shows the tornado crossed the Kansas Turnpike east of the Eastern Toll Booth, and then proceeded northeast to where it lifted 2 miles south of Basehor. Total track length was 6 miles, with a width approaching 250 yards at times. Maxium intensity rating was F2, with most damage noted to homes near and just northeast of the intersection of 166th and Kansas Road.

Wider weather episode

A dry line moved into eastern Kansas and initiated severe thunderstorm development the afternoon of May 4th. Several of the thunderstorms became tornadic in Miami, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. The strongest tornado reached F4 intensity in Kansas City Kansas before moving into Missouri. This tornado killed an 82 year old man and injured 30 others. Wyandotte county also had $15.5 million dollars in damage, with 69 buildings destroyed, and 390 suffering damage. Leavenworth county had 9 homes destroyed, 8 with major damage and 17 with minor damage. Damage estimates for Leavenworth county are around $4 million dollars. This was the most significant tornado outbreak in the Kansas City Metropolitan areas, since the Pleasant Hill tornado outbreak of 1977. A 46 year old woman died from injuries received with this tornado on October 10th, 2003.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.3500, -94.9167)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5358621. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.