Cowley, Chautauqua, Wilson tornadoes get EF ratings

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The National Weather Service in Wichita has studied the damage from tornadoes that hit Cowley, Chautauqua, and Wilson counties Friday and Saturday and has determined their EF ratings. Other tornado surveys are pending. The NWS Wichita office says it knows of nine confirmed tornadoes.

EF stands for Enhanced Fujita Scale. NWS scientists consider 28 different types of damage to buildings and trees to determine how strong a tornado was.

A tornado in Cowley County and one in Wilson County were rated EF2, which the NWS considers strong.

Wilson and Elk Counties, Friday

The EF2 tornado in Wilson County started in Elk County, hitting at 3:32 p.m. about five miles west of Buxton. It ended at 3:46 p.m. about three miles west of Fredonia.

The NWS says the tornado was on the ground for 8.5 miles. It had peak winds of 125 mph. The roof of a two-story home was almost completely torn off. The bulk of the rest of the damage was to trees and outbuildings.

The county also got a lot of rain. Wilson County Emergency Management says the Neodesha Fire Department had to help a woman from her home on Saturday. She was in a wheelchair, and the water was a couple of feet high at the time.

Cowley County on Saturday

EF2

The EF2 tornado in Cowley County touched down at 3:28 p.m. about four miles north-northeast of Maple City. It stayed on the ground for 1.28 miles, ending at 3:32 p.m. about four miles south-southwest of Dexter.

Its estimated peak wind was 125 mph, and its maximum width was 100 yards.

The NWS says a farm has “multi-vortex damage.” Each vortex was about 30 yards wide and hit three of the five farm buildings. Two buildings took direct hits.

EF1

The NWS says a slightly weaker tornado touched down at 3:36 p.m., three miles south-southwest of Dexter. The tornado had an estimated peak wind of 110 mph. It stayed on the ground for about two-thirds of a mile, ending about two miles south-southwest of Dexter.

It damaged some hardwood trees in a couple of fields.

‘A long road ahead’: Dexter man left to clean up damage from severe weather

Chautauqua County on Saturday

The NWS has rated two Chautauqua County tornadoes as EF0, the weakest rating for a tornado. Both tornadoes briefly touched down at 6:11 p.m. in the town of Chautauqua. They both lasted no more than a minute.

The peak wind speed was 85 mph. One stayed on the ground for .03 miles. The other lasted for .014 miles.

No damage was reported.

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