NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
BARBER COUNTY, KANSAS
TORNADO OF JUNE 2, 1929
| THE HARDTNER (KANS.) TORNADO OF JUNE 2, 1929 By IRA B. BLACKSTOCK The tornado at Hardtner, Kans., was observed under very favorable conditions of light about 4:30 p. m. Sunday, June 2, 1929, and was photographed at that time. (See fig. 1.) There was no scattering of debris during the storm or afterwards other than that caused by the contact of the funnel cloud with the earth as it passed across country. The wind came from south or perhaps a little southwest of Hardtner and then from a northeasterly or perhaps more of an easterly direction. Large hail preceded the storm by several miles and there was a lignt rain and a very strong rumbling noise associated with the passing of the tornado. The temperature in the morning was was 75 at 9 o'clock, 90 at noon, and 95 at 3 p.m. There was a considerable fall in the temperature. The tornado cloud from which the funnel was pendent was of a dirty dark-brown color and extended about 10 miles east-west and 1 1/2 miles north-south. There was practically no lightning. The top of the funnel was perhaps 2 city blocks or more wide and the bottom where it touched the ground did not seem to be over 150 feet wide. The whirling of the funnel cloud was clearly visible from the top where it joined the main cloud all the way down to where it made contact with the earth. Little damage was done perhaps due to the fact that the storm was a dying one and its path was through comparatively thinly settled country. Two small dwelling houses were twisted partially from their foundations and a number of barns and sheds also were slightly damaged; wheat fields in the path of the tornado suffered considerable damage. The approach of the tornado was clearly seen and I was able to make a kodak snapshot of the funnel cloud at a distance of less than a mile from its path; quite a number of others also snapped pictures of it because it was easy to do so. Almost every farm in Kansas is provided with a storm cave or cellar just outside of the. dwelling house so that one can be brave and courageous with one foot on the stairway to the cave, quickly snap his or her kodak and then duck to safety. (There were several of us in the cave on the occasion of this storm.) MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW, AUGUST 1930 VOLUMNE 58, ISSUE 8, PAGE 325 Submitted by David Smith |