I guess this just confirms I’m a tornado geek, but when May 25 arrives each year I can’t help but think of Udall – the tiny town that “died in its sleep” in 1955.
That tornado remains the deadliest in Kansas history, killing 77 people in Udall and 5 members of the King family on their farm south of the small town.
When former Eagle reporter P.J. Griekspoor and I wrote an account of the tragedy for its 40th anniversary, we invited several survivors to meet us at the cafe in Udall. It made for a compelling afternoon, and most participants later told me it was the first time they’d ever talked about the tornado in a group setting.
“Why didn’t we do this before?” they’d almost invariably say.
The answer is an easy one: the experience was so traumatic it’s not one most folks want to revisit.
One detail about that infamous tornado mentioned all too rarely is how infused it was by lightning. At times, records indicate, lightning was striking at the rate of 25 flashes per second.
As a result, the menacing monster almost seemed to glow. Not many people saw that, however. Most of Udall had already tucked in for the night.
May 25 already had a place in Kansas tornado history prior to the demolition of Udall in 1955.
Another F5 tornado struck on this day in 1917, leaving its mark on south-central Kansas – and the record books.
The tornado touched down in northwest Sedgwick County, grew to one mile wide, and stayed on the ground for 65 miles before lifting in Marion County. It killed 23 people, injured 70, and caused $600,000 in damage.
Its average speed of 65 MPH was the fastest on record until the Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925.
Think about that: a tornado moving at 65 mph — or freeway speed.
