27 Years Ago Today

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Shawn Aeby posted on Twitter a few minutes ago and reminded me that this is the 27th anniversary of the Wichita-Andover Tornado and the other tornadoes in Kansas and northern Oklahoma that day.

At about this time (9am or so), I had a pain in the pit of my stomach as I knew it was going to be a terrible day for tornadoes. That feeling of dread persisted until the supercell thunderstorms actually developed. At that point, we were so focused on warning people there wasn't time to think about anything else.

If you wish to see my coverage on KSNW-TV, it is below. Unfortunately, this mash-up does not include me explicitly warning the City of Andover.


If you wish to see video of the Wichita-Andover tornado, it is here. This is one of the most dramatic tornado videos ever taken.

The Great Plains has been more or less tornado-free so far in 2018 but that bit of good fortune looks like it will end the middle of next week. So, it is time to make sure you have fresh batteries for your weather radio and have the AccuWeather app on your smart phone (it is free). Note: I am now retired from AccuWeather but that does not change my recommendation. The AW app is an outstanding way to keep up on dangerous weather wherever you happen to be.

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