Tornadoes · United States · Kansas · 2005

F1 tornado, Erie, Kansas, November 27, 2005

This F1 tornado ran 6.0 miles across Neosho County on November 27, 2005, touching down at 4:06 PM CST and reaching 80 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $120,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
F1
Date
November 27, 2005
Touchdown
4:06 PM CST (22:06 UTC)
Path length
6.0 miles (9.7 km)
Path width
80 yards (73 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$120,000
County
Neosho County
Touchdown point
37.580, -95.220
Lift-off point
37.680, -95.170
Record number
503

What the Weather Service recorded

Shortly after touchdown approximately 2 miles northeast of Erie, the tornado produced F1 damage to homes, outbuildings and trees. Thereafter, the tornado lost some of its intensity, and subsequent damage was rated F0.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

26 minutes of warning. NWS ICT issued a tornado warning for this county at 21:40 UTC, 26 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 22:30 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:36 UTC and running to 23:49 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
18:36 UTC23:49 UTCTornado WatchICT
20:55 UTC21:15 UTCTornado WarningICT
21:16 UTC21:40 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningICT
21:29 UTC22:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningICT
21:40 UTC22:30 UTCTornado WarningICT
22:01 UTC22:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningICT
22:07 UTC22:28 UTCTornado WarningICT

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:59 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 12:00Z

10.1 hours before the tornado, 148 km from the path. November 27, 2005.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2005-11-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 4 joules per kilogram, CIN 0, lifted condensation level 461 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2005-11-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 164 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 30 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
461 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
164 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 00:00Z

1.9 hours after it, 148 km from the path. November 28, 2005.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2005-11-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 70 joules per kilogram, CIN -44, lifted condensation level 1004 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2005-11-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 196 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 80 knots.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
70 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-44 J/kg
Surface CAPE
162 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1004 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
80 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
196 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
204 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.4
0-3 km lapse rate
6.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Chanute (CNU), 26 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
20:52 UTC6153160° 19 kt987.8RA
21:09 UTC60.853.6160° 12 kt987.5TSRA
21:52 UTC5954200° 11 kt988.1-TSRA
22:01 UTC60.853.6180° 16 kt21987.8
22:52 UTC5852150° 12 kt987.1-RA
23:52 UTC5748200° 8 kt988.1

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:08 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
20:48 UTCTORNADONe CherryvaleMontgomery, KSTORNADO ON THE GROUND NORTHEAST OF CHERRYVALE.
21:12 UTCHAIL 12 E IndependenceMontgomery, KS
21:22 UTCHAIL 1.753 E NeodeshaWilson, KS
21:31 UTCHAIL 17 E AltoonaWilson, KS
21:48 UTCTORNADO2 S GalesburgNeosho, KSBRIEF TOUCHDOWN IN OPEN COUNTRY.
22:06 UTCTORNADO5 N ErieNeosho, KSTORNADO ON THE GROUND.
22:10 UTCTORNADO1 Ne ErieNeosho, KSBRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN.
22:12 UTCTORNADOStarkNeosho, KSPRELIMINARY REPORT OF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN SOMETIME BETWEEN 405 PM AND 415 PM SOUTHWEST OF STARK AND KIMBALL. SIX CONFIRMED RESIDENCES SUSTAINED DAMAGE. NO KNOWN INJURIES OR DEATHS.
22:15 UTCTSTM WND DMGPortervilleBourbon, KSTIN BLOWN OFF OF SHED. POSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE. STORM SURVEY MAY BE NEEDED ON MONDAY.
22:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGColumbusCherokee, KSSEVERE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS DOWNED A FEW TREES AND POWER POLES IN THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.
23:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGFort ScottBourbon, KS68 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.
23:45 UTCNON-TSTM WND GST 0Fort ScottBourbon, KS68 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.
23:45 UTCNON-TSTM WND GST 68Fort ScottBourbon, KS68 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.
00:30 UTCNON-TSTM WND DMGGirardCrawford, KSPOWERLINES DOWN IN GIRARD. TREES DOWN THROUGHOUT CRAWFORD COUNTY.
00:40 UTCTSTM WND GST 61ColumbusCherokee, KS61 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.
00:40 UTCNON-TSTM WND GST 0ColumbusCherokee, KS61 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.
00:40 UTCNON-TSTM WND GST 61ColumbusCherokee, KS61 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.
00:40 UTCNON-TSTM WND DMGColumbusCherokee, KS61 MPH WIND SPEED MEASURED BY AWOS.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2005 tornado in KansasEvery tornado in Kansas since 1950Warnings in force in Kansas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of November 27, 2005

64 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 271:48 PM CSTF0Marion, KS0.150
November 271:48 PM CSTF0Marion, KS13.050
November 271:50 PM CSTF0Marion, KS2.050$1,000
November 272:04 PM CSTF0Marion, KS0.150
November 272:05 PM CSTF0Morris, KS0.3100
November 272:12 PM CSTF1Morris, KS20.0400$250,000
November 272:32 PM CSTF0Dickinson, KS1.5100
November 272:32 PM CSTF0Morris, KS6.0100
November 272:35 PM CSTF0Lyon, KS1.0100$20,000
November 272:48 PM CSTF0Montgomery, KS0.150
November 272:58 PM CSTF0Morris, KS0.3100
November 273:09 PM CSTF1Geary, KS2.0300$900,000
November 273:15 PM CSTF0Geary, KS0.3100
November 273:21 PM CSTF0Geary, KS2.0150$40,000
November 273:28 PM CSTF0Riley, KS0.3100
November 273:32 PM CSTF0Riley, KS0.3100$10,000
November 273:40 PM CSTF1Yell, AR4.550
November 273:49 PM CSTF0Riley, KS0.3100
November 273:57 PM CSTF0Yell, AR2.740
November 274:22 PM CSTF0Allen, KS0.250
November 274:25 PM CSTF1Pike, AR13.8401
November 274:42 PM CSTF1Montgomery, AR3.240
November 274:49 PM CSTF1Montgomery, AR4.540
November 274:56 PM CSTF1Garland, AR3.540
November 275:10 PM CSTF1Garland, AR1.250
November 275:19 PM CSTF0Jasper, MO0.075
November 275:20 PM CSTF2Hot Spring, AR4.2100
November 275:23 PM CSTF1Van Buren, AR2.850
November 275:26 PM CSTF2Garland, AR13.81001
November 275:27 PM CSTF1Searcy, AR2.750
November 275:30 PM CSTF1Garland, AR2.1100
November 275:32 PM CSTF1Saline, AR6.1100
November 275:37 PM CSTF2Conway, AR3.9250
November 275:41 PM CSTF3Perry, AR19.0800$4.0 million
November 275:42 PM CSTF2Pope, AR2.3250
November 275:44 PM CSTF1Clay, MO11.075$1.2 million
November 275:45 PM CSTF2Conway, AR11.8250
November 275:59 PM CSTF1Ray, MO2.075$30,000
November 276:00 PM CSTF3Conway, AR2.0150
November 276:09 PM CSTF3Conway, AR15.070018
November 276:15 PM CSTF1Baxter, AR3.7100
November 276:25 PM CSTF1Perry, AR0.825
November 276:26 PM CSTF1Pulaski, AR2.225
November 276:27 PM CSTF2Conway, AR6.1600
November 276:34 PM CSTF2Faulkner, AR2.6400
November 276:37 PM CSTF2Van Buren, AR13.1400
November 276:40 PM CSTF1Fulton, AR1.350
November 276:42 PM CSTF1Ozark, MO1.0100
November 276:46 PM CSTF1Howell, MO3.01002$70,000
November 276:55 PM CSTF1Van Buren, AR3.750
November 276:56 PM CSTF1Howell, MO5.01002$70,000
November 276:59 PM CSTF1Faulkner, AR7.775
November 277:02 PM CSTF1Cleburne, AR2.750
November 277:11 PM CSTF0Faulkner, AR4.040
November 277:19 PM CSTF2Van Buren, AR0.8100
November 277:20 PM CSTF2Cleburne, AR9.21001
November 277:47 PM CSTF0Cleburne, AR1.225
November 277:55 PM CSTF1Izard, AR5.8150
November 278:01 PM CSTF1Sharp, AR0.4100
November 278:02 PM CSTF1Fulton, AR5.8100

All 65 of them

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.