Damaging Wind in Kansas, August 2, 1996

Name: Damaging Wind in Kansas, August 2, 1996
Start: 1996-08-02T20:00
End: 1996-08-02T20:00
Location: Kansas

August 2, 1996 · NWS DDC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

a large tree was uprooted in Belpre. The tree was Belpre's historic balsam fir tree, a landmark in the town for 108 years.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.8 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DDC wrote it up.

Calves killed...cars blown off the highway...a window was blown out of a pickup...60 power poles blown down...a large tree was uprooted in Belpre. The tree was Belpre's historic balsam fir tree, a landmark in the town for 108 years. It was also the first balsam fir tree planted in Kansas. The tree was plnated by a local blacksmith in 1888 after a trip back from Colorado. Note: The balsam fir tree is one of the most difficult trees to transplant and almost never grows outside of its native areas of the Rocky Mountains and the northeastern states. Considering that the tree was dug up several days before and transported to Kansas under less than ideal conditions, the survival of the tree was remarkable. The spring and summer of 1888 were unusually wet, which probably aided its growth and development.

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Edwards

When: August 2, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Edwards County, Lewis to 3 mi of Belpre
Measured: 90 kt (104 mph)
Property damage: $1.8 million
Coordinates: 37.880, -99.250

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, August 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5571773.