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F4 tornado in Harper County, Kansas

Tornado May 12, 2004 · Harper County, Kansas

Rating

1.2 mi

Path length

500 yd

Path width

Injury

$275K

Damage as recorded

$75K

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 F4 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F4 meant devastating damage: well-built houses levelled; the scale paired it with winds of 207–260 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

Large destructive tornado completely demolished a two story farm house and 5 other barns associated with the homestead. Five cars were also dismantled as the engines were spread across the shaven wheat fields. Very few automobile body parts could be located.

Began near Harper (37.7000, -97.3333).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

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

F2 Harper County F2 Harper County F2 Harper County F1 Harper County F1 Sumner County F1 Harper County F1 Harper County F0 Harper County F0 Harper County F0 Harper County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5391565. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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