Abilene-Chapman tornado
Throughout the evening of May 25, 2016, a long-lived and powerful EF4 tornado tore across parts of rural central to northeastern Kansas in the United States, within Ottawa and Dickinson Counties. The tornado was the strongest during a major tornado outbreak sequence that lasted from May 22–26, and was the second violent tornado to occur during the 2016 season. In its wake, the tornado passed by the cities of Solomon, Abilene and Chapman, damaging or destroying many rural structures and farmsteads. Chapman in particular avoided a direct impact by the tornado, which already saw a direct hit by a deadly EF3 tornado back in June of 2008.
What was the AbileneChapman tornado?
The AbileneChapman tornado acted as a powerful EF4 vortex that moved across Ottawa and Dickinson Counties in Kansas on May 25, 2016. It originated during a major outbreak sequence lasting from May 22 to May 26. The storm tracked across rural landscapes before passing near the cities of Solomon, Abilene, and Chapman. This event stands as the second violent tornado to occur during the 2016 season. It reached high-end EF4 intensity while maintaining a track of over 25 miles.
What was the AbileneChapman tornado wind speed?
National Weather Service damage surveyors estimated peak winds at 180 mph based on the destruction of a rural residence near Chapman. The team noted that the level of destruction at this site led to speculation that winds potentially reached 200 mph. Such speeds would align with EF5 intensity on the Enhanced Fujita scale. However, the survey team did not officially assign an EF5 rating because the brick facade of the house remained partially intact. They ultimately classified the event as an upper-end EF4 tornado.
What was the AbileneChapman tornado path?
The tornado touched down at 7:07 p.m. CDT northeast of Niles in Ottawa County. It traveled for 25.09 miles across rural central Kansas before finally dissipating at 8:40 p.m. CDT along the Smoky Hill River. During its 93-minute lifespan, the storm reached a width of 900 yards. It traversed into Dickinson County after exiting Ottawa County, moving southeast toward the I-70 corridor and the outskirts of Chapman. The path bypassed the city center of Chapman but caused severe damage to nearby agricultural properties.
How many people died in the AbileneChapman tornado?
The AbileneChapman tornado resulted in zero fatalities. Eight people sustained injuries during the event. One man required medical attention after a house impact in Ottawa County. Another resident survived the destruction of a farmstead near Chapman while sheltering in a basement. The storm fortunately avoided direct hits on population centers, which minimized the potential for casualties. Residents in the path of the storm mostly successfully reached shelter in time.
What did the AbileneChapman tornado destroy?
The tornado damaged or destroyed approximately 20 homes and farmsteads across its path in Dickinson County. It leveled several residences, including one high-end EF3 structure and an anchor-bolted brick farmhouse. The vortex mangled farm machinery, crushed vehicles, and debarked trees near Chapman. It also destroyed train tracks near the Old 40 Highway. The storm removed subfloors from homes and left behind cracked concrete foundations reinforced with rebar.
What caused the AbileneChapman tornado?
A low-pressure system over central Kansas combined with a dryline bulge to initiate the severe storms. The atmosphere featured high instability, with Mixed Layer Convective Available Potential Energy levels exceeding 3500 J/kg. South-to-north moisture transport brought dew points into the 60 degree Fahrenheit range. Vertical wind shear assisted in the formation of rotating supercell structures throughout the region. These conditions provided the necessary environment for the development of the violent tornado during the evening hours.
What happened after the AbileneChapman tornado?
Recovery efforts began immediately as Dickinson County residents started cleaning up debris on the day of the event. The county government opened a phone bank to coordinate volunteers, while the Red Cross established an emergency shelter in Abilene for displaced families. Victims at the destroyed farmstead near Chapman completed the rebuilding of their property about 10 months after the tornado. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that six homes suffered total destruction, but the response facilitated a fast recovery for the affected rural community.
Abilene-Chapman Tornado Track
The mapped ground track below shows the surveyed touchdown point, damage corridor, and dissipation coordinates recorded by NWS field crews. The Abilene-Chapman tornado traveled 25.09 miles across Ottawa and Dickinson Counties, Kansas. Coordinates are derived from the official SPC historical tornado database.
Did the AbileneChapman tornado hit Chapman directly?
No, the tornado avoided a direct hit on the city of Chapman, though it caused severe damage to farmsteads located just one mile southwest of the city.
Was the AbileneChapman tornado an EF5?
While surveyors speculated that winds could have approached 200 mph, they ultimately rated the tornado as a high-end EF4 because the home's brick facade was not cleanly swept away.
How long did the AbileneChapman tornado last?
The tornado remained on the ground for 93 minutes, tracking from 7:07 p.m. CDT until 8:40 p.m. CDT.
What time did the tornado emergency occur?
The National Weather Service in Topeka issued a tornado emergency for northeastern Dickinson County at 8:18 p.m. CDT.