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F2 tornado in Nemaha County, Kansas

Tornado June 13, 1998 · Nemaha County, Kansas

F2
Rating
1.0 mi
Path length
100 yd
Path width
$3.5M
Damage as recorded
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 F2 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F2 meant considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted; the scale paired it with winds of 113–157 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.

The wider storm

A tornado ripped through downtown Sabetha causing extensive structural damage to buildings in a two block area, as well as downing power lines and several large trees. The tornado's path extended from one-half mile west to one-half mile east of the City Hall building. Eighteen buildings in downtown sustained damage with five buildings including City Hall damaged close to the point of loss. The tornado caused 2 million in damage to City Hall alone as it destroyed half the roof and walls of the building. Away from downtown several homes and vehicles were damaged from fallen trees and limbs on the fringes of the tornado or from strong straight line winds.

Began near Sabetha (39.9000, -95.7800).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5653912. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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