While May is the peak month for tornadoes in Kansas, June isn’t far behind in number. On June 15, 1992 the second largest two-day tornado outbreak in U.S. history began in Kansas. A developing cumulus cloud broke through the cap in the north central region of the state, and exploded into a huge supercell thunderstorm. This supercell produced 39 tornadoes, including 12 in Mitchell County and 9 in Osborne County. A farmer living south of Cawker City reported going to the basement in his farm home five different times and each time he left shelter, his farm had additional damage. He also reported that at one time, he counted 3 tornadoes on the ground and 4 funnels in the air. Fifty-eight tornadoes were reported on that date, with most occurring in KS. There were 17 injuries in the storms and a total estimated damage of over 66 million dollars.
Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu