The April 21, 2001 tornado
F4Barton County, Kansas
An F4 tornado on a 5.0-mile path that killed 1 and injured 28. It was one of 12 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day.
Watch how it happenedF4 tornado · April 21, 2001
How it happened
Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.
The tornado
- Rating
- F4
- Fujita scale
- Path length
- 5.0 mi
- Width up to 660 yards
- Killed
- 1
- Along the whole path
- Injured
- 28
- Along the whole path
- Date and time
- Saturday, April 21, 2001
- 8:15 PM CST
The National Weather Service account
Written by the local Weather Service office after its damage survey.
Initial touchdown occurred 1 mile southwest of Hoisington. The tornado rapidly achieved F3 intensity as it entered the west side of town. Moving northeast around 20 mph, the tornado intensified to F4 within 2-3 minutes. While crossing northwest Hoisington, the tornado inflicted a path about 2 miles long and about 2 blocks wide of almost complete destruction. Damage summary: 182 homes destroyed, 52 homes with major damage, 180 homes with minor to moderate damage, 12 businesses destroyed, tore the roof off the hospital, and severed power to most (if not all) areas on the northwest and north sides of town. As the tornado exited through the north side of town it weakened rapidly, inflicting F1-F2 damage as it approached Deception Creek which runs in a southeast to northwest manner 3 miles northeast of town. Once the tornado crossed the creek, it suddenly turned toward the northwest where it damaged two farmsteads shortly before dissipating.One man, 69 years of age, was killed when a minivan fell on him. There were 28 injuries of which 3 were critical.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
Counties on its path
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database. Path drawn as a straight line from the recorded start to end point.