1966 Tornado Devastates Topeka

57 years ago, one of the most destructive and deadly tornadoes in Kansas history took place in the capital city of Topeka. It caused nearly $200 million in damage or just over $1 billion in today’s money and killed 17 people in the approximately 30 minutes that it was on the ground. June 8, 1966, became a day that was seared forever into the minds of all who are old enough to remember that day. It was a Wednesday that started like any other, and then at 5 p.m. a funnel cloud was spotted near Manhattan, KS and the National Weather Service (NWS) began tracking what they call a “family situation” or a storm that could spawn multiple tornadoes. At 5:45 p.m. an EF3 hit Manhattan and injured 65 people. An hour later another tornado was spotted just to the west of the city of Auburn. Five minutes later at 6:50 p.m. the NWS issued a bulletin warning of severe thunderstorms heading toward Topeka from the southwest. There were reports of a funnel touching down 4 miles to the south and 1 mile to the west of Dover, KS.

Just before 7 p.m., Topeka police officer David Hathaway was dispatched to Burnett’s Mound located just outside of the city as part of the “weather watch” protocol to issue alerts and warnings for approaching storms and funnels. Other officers were dispatched throughout the city—some to the junction of US-75 and US-24 highways, US-75 and the Kansas Turnpike, and the Topeka Public Golf Course.

In 1966 the weather alert system was crude at best and radar was World War II surplus with small fuzzy black and white images. They used slow teletypes and paper facsimile charts as well but even with these devices early warnings for severe weather were still possible. Just after 7 p.m. the local news station WIBW-TV interrupted the scheduled program and Bill Kurtis who was working as a news anchor while in law school stepped in front the camera to alert viewers of a tornado on the ground. He would utter the most remembered statement of the day ‘For God’s sake take cover.’ A few minutes later Officer Hathaway radioed from Burnetts Mound that a tornado was dipping periodically and touching down in open countryside and was about 12 miles south of Topeka. At that moment the sirens began to sound all over the city.

The Honorable D. Keith Anderson recalled when he heard the warning, saying, “The tornado sirens went off. The sky was sickening greenish color and it felt like something was wrong. I went to the old barrack apartment where we lived and turned on the TV. Bill Kurtis stepped in front of the weatherman who was giving his regular report. Bill calmly explained a large tornado was on the ground and headed our way.”

At 7:15 Hathaway gave his last report to headquarters at Burnetts Mound saying that the tornado was coming over the back of the mound and was heading for the houses and apartments at S.W. 29th and Gage. Just moments after ushering motorists out of their vehicles and under an overpass, Hathaway was swept up by the tornado as it passed over the mound. He would ultimately survive the wounds that he sustained.

The tornado cut a 22-mile path through the heart of the city that was at times a mile and a half wide. It decimated the Washburn University campus where every building was either damaged or destroyed. The tornado was on the ground for 34 minutes and caused total devastation that occurred along an eight-block section in the center of the city. 800 homes were completely destroyed and almost 3000 were damaged. The dome on the state capital building was damaged by flying debris as were many buildings downtown. The EF5 tornado held a northeastern pace traveling about 35mph, weakening after it left the downtown area and eventually dissipated just East of Billard Airport. In the aftermath 17 people were killed and over 500 injured. Power and utilities in many areas of the city were out for weeks and hundreds were left homeless. At the Washburn campus Rice Hall, Boswell Hall, MacVicar Chapel, Crane Observatory, and Thomas Gymnasium were complete losses. Throughout the summer volunteers cleaned up the campus and that fall classes resumed in mobile classrooms provided by the Federal Government.

The Topeka tornado made front page news for weeks and soon rebuilding efforts began. Today Topeka has moved on but has not forgotten that fateful June day which left its mark on the city. Many of the buildings on the Washburn campus were built in the years following the tornado. However, traces of the old buildings remain, a stained-glass window from Boswell Hall now hangs in White Concert Hall and the bell from Thomas Gymnasium now hangs in Kuehne Bell Tower. Burnett Mound, which is still a popular place for storm chasers and watchers alike to gather, was in 1966 thought to protect Topeka from tornadoes by deflecting them away from the city but after June 8 that legend came to an end. In the Topeka Cemetery there is a marker erected by Mr. and Mrs. Dana L. Hummer in memory of their daughter Nancy and donated to the citizens of the city. It reads: ‘This memorial is given as a tribute for those who worked unselfishly in restoring our normalcy, and as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the tornado of June 8, 1966.’ It lists the names of the victims of the tornado and is now considered a historical maker. The Capital Journal keeps the memory of the tornado and the victims alive though their website tornado.cjonline.com created for the 50th anniversary of the tornado. It shares the story of that day the before, during, and after the tornado. Even today the June 8, 1966, Topeka tornado still ranks as the 7th costliest tornado in the nation’s history.