The May 28, 2019 tornado
EF4Douglas and Leavenworth counties, Kansas
An EF4 tornado on a 29.1-mile path that injured 4. It was one of 16 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day.
Watch how it happenedEF4 tornado · May 28, 2019
How it happened
Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.
The tornado
- Rating
- EF4
- Enhanced Fujita scale
- Path length
- 29.1 mi
- Width up to 1,760 yards
- Killed
- 0
- Along the whole path
- Injured
- 4
- Along the whole path
- Date and time
- Tuesday, May 28, 2019
- 5:05 PM CST
The National Weather Service account
Written by the local Weather Service office after its damage survey.
This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that formed in Douglas County and crossed the Kansas River into Leavenworth County. As the tornado crossed the Kansas River it became very strong and wide. It produced EF-3 damage to residences along the Kansas River. When the tornado impacted Linwood, Kansas it produced isolated EF-3 and EF-4 damage. Preliminary estimates for damage exceeded 26 million dollars, per the Leavenworth Times ( https://www.leavenworthtimes.com/news/20190531/tornado-damage-exceeds-26-million ). Despite the EF-4 rating and widespread devastation to rural areas near Lawrence and Linwood no serious injuries occurred. This was the strongest tornado to impact the Kansas City metro area since 2003.
The storm system that day
In the evening of May 28 a strong tornado formed in Douglas County and grew to a wide EF-4 tornado. This is the same storm that caused the storm chasing group to fly off the road just south of Lawrence, Kansas. Once the tornado crossed into Leavenworth County it impacted mainly rural residences, but also impact the city of Linwood. It was here that isolated EF-3 and EF-4 damage was noted. The tornado continued on to the Bonner Springs area before it dissipated just southwest of Kansas Speedway and I-70.
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.