Kansas, 1997

High Wind in Kansas, December 30, 1997

December 30, 1997 · NWS TOP · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Strong winds in portions of Northeast and East Central Kansas resulted in sporadic power outages and several downed road signs in the Topeka and Lawrence vicinities. In Ottawa strong winds knocked over a large scaffolding at a construction site.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 TOP wrote it up.

Strong winds in portions of Northeast and East Central Kansas resulted in sporadic power outages and several downed road signs in the Topeka and Lawrence vicinities. In Ottawa strong winds knocked over a large scaffolding at a construction site. A large tree was blown over in Garnett. In Lyon County a strong wind gust rolled a motor home onto its side on the Kansas Turnpike at mile post 111. Some stronger wind gusts reported were 63 miles an hour at Melvern Lake, 56 miles an hour at Emporia, and 55 miles an hour at Lawrence.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Osage

When
December 30, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Osage forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates
38.652, -95.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Douglas

When
December 30, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Measured
48 kt (55 mph)
Coordinates
38.885, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Shawnee

When
December 30, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Shawnee forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
39.042, -95.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lyon

When
December 30, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Measured
49 kt (56 mph)
Coordinates
38.456, -96.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Franklin

When
December 30, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
38.565, -95.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Anderson

When
December 30, 12:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Anderson forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates
38.214, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, December 1997

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: 5624758, 5624759, 5624760, 5624761, 5624762, 5624763.