The National Weather Service has now confirmed that an EF-0 tornado impacted southern Riley County during Monday night’s severe weather event.
Meteorologists were out surveying damage Tuesday in the Hunter’s Island area, south of Fort Riley Blvd. and noted the tornado was on the ground from about 7:39 p.m. to 7:44 p.m. Monday, with an estimated peak wind gust of 85 mph, carving a path length of 1.6 miles with a width of 75 yards. No injuries were reported with this storm and the only damage reported was to an irrigation pivot and some nearby trees.
It’s the second confirmed tornado in the Manhattan area in less than a week, following the April 30 tornado that struck Westmoreland. That storm was rated an EF-3 and resulted in one death and three minor injuries.
Preliminary data from the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma shows 55 tornadoes have now been confirmed in Kansas so far in 2024. Only Texas (62) and Iowa (58) have had more.
