2019 Harper, Kansas Tornado

**2019 Harper, Kansas Tornado**

The ***2019 Harper, Kansas Tornado*** was a violent and catastrophic, high-end EF4-rated tornado that struck the city of Harper, Kansas in the late afternoon-early evening hours of May 3, 2019.

Coming on the 20-year anniversary of the incredibly violent, strong, and catastrophic F5 tornado that struck Central Oklahoma, the tornado was responsible for 30 deaths, 95 injuries, and $4.96 billion (2019 USD) in damages.

## Meteorological Synopsis

In the late-evening hours of May 2, 2019, a system that began to develop over the Rockies exploded over Kansas, causing multiple strong and violent tornadoes, including an EF4 that struck Hudson, Kansas, killing 9 and injuring 84.

In the early-morning hours of May 3, the National Weather Service (NWS), issued an High Risk for the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska as the system was intensifying and had a 45% to produce a violent tornado.

At 8:51 AM CDT, the first tornado of the outbreak that would formed touched down in the Texas Panhandle and tracked into the Oklahoma Panhandle before entering Kansas as an EF4 with 185 mph winds. Killing 22 and injuring 479, this EF4 caused $5.67 billion (2019 USD) in damages.

Between 9:00 AM CDT and 4:30 PM CDT, 76 tornadoes touched down in the plains, including another 3 EF4's and 7 EF3's.

## Tornado Warning

After an active day for tornadoes, a supercell formed over Oklahoma City and transitioned over Southern Kansas, causing another 19 tornadoes to touch down. A tornado watch was issued at 3:14 PM CDT for the counties of Comanche, Kiowa, Pratt, Clark, Kingman, Barber, Harper, Sedgwick, and Sumner counties.

A tornado warning was issued then at 3:31 PM CDT. Another 16 tornadoes touched down, all either EF0 or EF1.

## Event

The main tornado touched down at 4:36 PM CDT near a forest a quarter mile away from Alden. Slowly gaining speed and intensity, the tornado caused EF0 damage to a church. Quickly intensifying further into a large-wedge EF3 over a 30 mile path.

Barely dodging the town of Hudson at 5:09 PM CDT, the tornado further intensifying into a mid-range EF4 near Stafford, dodging that town as well as the towns of Preston, Isabel, and Nashville. Reaching it's peak strength northwest of Harper, severely injuring an elderly farmer and his wife at 5:28 PM CDT.

    Impacting 4 more farms 2 miles west of Harper, a 51 year-old man was killed when the tornado impacted his home at high-end EF4 strength. Tracking towards Harper even further, a tornado emergency was declared for Harper County as the tornado continued to strengthen.

A line of homes that were anchor bolted were leveled and damage rated in this area was rated at high-end EF4. 26 fatalities occurred at the Rolla-Rena Skating Center as the facility was crowded and hit at maximum intensity with 200 mph winds. Damage in this area was rated high-end EF4 as the facility was nearly completely leveled. 58 injuries also occurred at this location.

Retaining it's strength, the EF4 killed another farmer after a farm was leveled, throwing dozens of farm vehicles up to a mile away. Loosing strength a little, the EF4 impacted a few dozen homes, injuring 13 and causing $50 million.

Entering Harper, a deserted shopping center was leveled, still causing $1.2 billion in damages. After impacting the center, the tornado weakened to an EF3 before a small satellite tornado touched down as the tornado was nearing Anthony. Another 2 were killed along with 14 injuries as a warehouse was severely damaged.

Weakening further, the now EF2 killed a 83 year old-man as a tree fell on his destroyed house. Another 6 were injured as a accident caused by the tornado started a fire. Weakening further into an EF0, another 4 were injured as a mobile home was moderately damaged, nearly killing a man.

After tracking past Corwin and Hazelton, the EF0 tornado dissipated in an open field at 7:04 PM CDT after killing 30, injuring 95, and causing $4.96 billion (2019 USD) in damages.

## Aftermath

On May 4, the governor of Kansas, Laura Kelly, declared a state of emergency for the state and asked President Donald J. Trump to send federal aid. The following day on the 5th, Trump signed a declaration in which the state of Kansas will receive federal aid. By May 20, the official death count reached 30 and economic losses reached $4.96 billion (2019 USD). Ranking as the 19th costliest tornado ever and 2nd costliest in Kansas history, the EF4 was the deadly, but not the costliest of the outbreak that it occurred in.

Another 4 EF4's would hit the surrounding areas of Harper, causing 157 deaths and hundreds more injuries. The NWS sent many groups of surveyors to access the damage. The final rating was a high-end EF4. The path reached 118.47 miles and 1.3 miles wide.

## Gallery

High-end EF4 damage in Harper.Another photo of high-end EF4 damage in Harper.Asphalt that was stripped outside of Harper.The EF4 nearing Stafford.Tornadoadoddd.pngThe EF4 over the Rolla-Rena Skating Center in Harper.The high-end EF4 near Preston.A photo of the supercell that would form the Harper high-end EF4.Supercell from plane.jpgAn aerial view of the supercell that formed the EF4.May 3, 2019 Tornado Outbreak Outlook (Hitman).pngTornado Convective outlook for May 3, 2019.