Tornadoes · United States · Kansas · 2026
EF1 tornado, Holland to Carlton, Kansas, June 8, 2026
From Holland to Carlton, this EF1 tornado ran 3.9 miles across Dickinson County on June 8, 2026, touching down at 9:37 PM CDT and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody.
Preliminary. This is NWS TOP's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit. The rating, the path and the casualties are the survey's and can change while it is revised. The Storm Prediction Center compiles the official record of 2026 from these surveys and publishes it in the spring of 2027; this page moves to that tornado's permanent address when it does.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 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.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 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.
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 survey
- Rating, as surveyed
- EF1, preliminary
- Date
- June 8, 2026
- Touchdown
- 9:37 PM CDT (02:37 UTC)
- Lifted
- 9:50 PM CDT (02:50 UTC)
- On the ground
- 13 minutes
- Path length
- 3.9 miles (6.3 km)
- Path width
- 150 yards (137 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Dickinson County
- Touchdown point
- 38.762, -97.329
- Lift-off point
- 38.709, -97.302
- Highest wind the damage implies
- 110 mph
- Surveyed by
- NWS TOP
- Survey last edited
- June 9, 2026
- Record number
- None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.
What the survey found
Large mesocyclone slowly moved southeastward across western Dickinson County. Widespread wind damage was noted well outside of the tornadic region due to the strong low-level mesocyclone. Tree branches broken and corn flattened in a convergent pattern on the periphery of the overall circulation, with several enhanced areas of damage within the tornadic centerline. Tornado path was likely internment due to transient nature of individual tornadic vortices.
Written by NWS TOP in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.
The damage survey
20 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS TOP, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 110 mph.
- Random direction to damage here suggesting a wide width to circulation. This location is definitely within zone of possible track
- Random direction to damage here
- Cedar and hardwood branches snapped variable directions here suggesting closer to possible path
- Truck port destroyed debris variable likely path here
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
Northeast Kansas continued to endure one of its worst stretches of severe storms in recent memory with another high impact wind and flood event. A cluster of storms developed in north central Kansas and evolved into a bow echo. The storms produced destructive winds in excess of 100 mph across parts of Ottawa county with a swath of winds of 75-95 mph causing damage from Dickinson county east along I-70 into Douglas County including the city of Topeka. Widespread damage occurred due to the winds. Torrential flooding rains of 2-3 inches per hour also plagued the area and produced damaging flooding across many areas during the night. Two to six inches of rain fell over already saturated grounds causing the flooding. There were also two documented tornadoes one in Dickinson county and a small tornado in Douglas County on the north side of the city of Lawrence.
A wide tornado circulation occurred across southwest Dickinson County during the late evening of June 8th. The tornado appears to have traveled southeast slowly. The severe storm that produced the tornado had a very large and very strong low level mesocyclone which produced damaging inflow and outflow winds around the actual tornado itself. This made finding the actual tornado path more difficult. The actual tornado produced EF1 damage with winds to around 110 mph with some outbuidling damage and extensive tree damage noted.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jun 8, 3:16 PM CDT, 6 hours 21 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Confidence is increasing in severe storms moving across the area this evening, with the highest threat towards north central KS. Damaging wind is the main hazard, along with large hail and a tornado or two.
- Heavy rainfall with localized flooding is also possible, so a Flood Watch has been issued for this evening and overnight.
- Hot and humid conditions take shape Tuesday. Heat Advisory has been expanded area-wide.
- Additional storm chances come later this week, particularly Wednesday, followed by cooler temperatures to end the week.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 8, 3:16 PM CDT, 6 hours 21 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 316 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Confidence is increasing in severe storms moving across the area this evening, with the highest threat towards north central KS. Damaging wind is the main hazard, along with large hail and a tornado or two. - Heavy rainfall with localized flooding is also possible, so a Flood Watch has been issued for this evening and overnight. - Hot and humid conditions take shape Tuesday. Heat Advisory has been expanded area-wide. - Additional storm chances come later this week, particularly Wednesday, followed by cooler temperatures to end the week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 316 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026 Large-scale pattern via water vapor imagery shows broad troughing across the western CONUS with one shortwave now moving well north into Canada and another shortwave trough axis off the Pacific coast. Surface low pressure is located near the TX/OK panhandles and southwest KS, with a warm front extending out of that across our area north of the I-70 corridor. An outflow boundary is noted via visible satellite near the KS/NE border into south central NE. Ahead of these boundaries, a very moist and unstable air mass is in place across our area with 4000-5000 J/kg of CAPE and dew points in the low/mid 70s. By early this evening, there looks to be just enough sfc convergence near the center of the low towards central KS as well as in the aforementioned area along the KS/NE border. This would initially allow for a few discrete supercells to develop before they congeal into a line later this evening. As mentioned earlier, we have plenty of instability, and deep-layer shear of 35-40 kts would support a damaging wind and large hail threat. Additionally, backed sfc winds result in veering low-level winds with 0-3km shear around 30 kts, so there is a reasonable tornado risk with initial discrete cells as well. CAMs this morning have been consistent in these cells evolving into an MCS, resulting in damaging wind becoming the primary severe weather threat with time. If storms are progressive enough in nature, flooding could be less of an issue, but if they turn into more of an east-west oriented line with training (as indicated in some of the morning CAM guidance as well), this would present a bigger flooding threat. In any case, Pwat looks to approach or exceed 2 inches, which is even higher than it has been in recent days. HREF mean has a swath of QPF amounts between 1-1.5", which seems like a reasonable average for most locations. However, 90th percentile has a swath of 2-4" along the I-70 corridor with individual HREF members showing isolated pockets of locally higher amounts than that. The HREF also has a signal for rainfall rates at least an inch per hour along and south of I-70 this evening. With this in mind along, decided to go ahead with a Flood Watch given that much of the CWA is sensitive to high rainfall rates with the recent heavy rain in the area. Storms should move out of the area before sunrise Tuesday, leaving a hot and muggy air mass in place for the day. Portions of the area are more on the marginal side for a Heat Advisory, but considering this is the first one of the year, decided to expand the advisory to include the entire area with most places likely reaching heat indices around 105, even if only a few degrees short. Most rain west of the area looks to dissipate before it reaches much of our area, with the exception of perhaps our far western counties in the evening. The next best chance for storms comes Wednesday afternoon and evening with an approaching cold front, which could present another risk for severe storms. That front pushes east into Thursday, with lower storm chances lingering in far eastern KS that afternoon. Wednesday may bring another day of heat indices around 105 degrees for portions of the area, but this looks to be less widespread compared to Tuesday. From there, temperatures cool down later in the week behind the cold front with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s from Thursday onward. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1233 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026 Guidance from 12Z CAMs has been consistent on maintaining a cluster of storms moving in from northwest and north central KS this evening. Have gone with a 3-hour window for TS as a best first guess, although timing adjustments may be needed. Otherwise, expect MVFR cigs this afternoon to eventually lift to VFR later this afternoon. South winds pick up above 10 kts toward the end of the period. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Heat Advisory from noon to 9 PM CDT Tuesday for KSZ008-KSZ009- KSZ010-KSZ011-KSZ012-KSZ020-KSZ021-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ026- KSZ034-KSZ035-KSZ036-KSZ037-KSZ038-KSZ039-KSZ040-KSZ054-KSZ055- KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059. Flood Watch from 7 PM CDT this evening through Tuesday morning for KSZ020-KSZ021-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ026-KSZ034-KSZ035-KSZ036- KSZ037-KSZ038-KSZ039-KSZ040-KSZ054-KSZ055-KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059. && DISCUSSION...Picha AVIATION...Picha
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 8, 3:20 PM CDT, 6 hours 17 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 320 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-092030- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 320 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas, and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight There is an enhanced risk for severe storms this evening. Damaging winds, large hail, a tornado or two, and heavy rainfall are all possible. A Flood Watch has been issued from 7 PM this evening into the overnight hours. A quick inch or two of rain is probable, although localized amounts up to 2 to 4 inches with high rainfall rates could lead to flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday A heat advisory has been posted for the entire area Tuesday from noon until 9pm. Heat indices are forecast to be around 105 degrees. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity Tuesday afternoon and early evening. There is a 40 to 60 percent chance for thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening across parts of northeast and east central Kansas. If storms develop, they could become severe with large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain potential hazards. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters may be needed this evening.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jun 8, 8:40 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
840 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0832 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Minneapolis 39.12N 97.71W
06/08/2026 Ottawa KS Storm Chaser
Power lines downed and power outage in
Minneapolis, KS.
&&Local storm report, Jun 8, 8:53 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
853 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 PM Hail 1 W Solomon 38.92N 97.37W
06/08/2026 M1.75 Inch Dickinson KS Emergency Mngr
&&Local storm report, Jun 8, 9:00 PM CDT, 37 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
900 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Tescott 39.01N 97.88W
06/08/2026 Ottawa KS Public
Large trees blown down. Estimated 80 MPH
winds.
&&Local storm report, Jun 8, 9:28 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
928 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0920 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 7 SSE Solomon 38.83N 97.34W
06/08/2026 M70 MPH Dickinson KS Emergency Mngr
&&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.
Topeka, KS (KTOP), 00:00Z
2.6 hours before the tornado, 148 km from the path. June 9, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2597 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -19 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 3363 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 661 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 26 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 11 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 46 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 52 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.9 K/km
The surface observations
Salina (SLN), 30 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:39 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.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2026 tornado in KansasEvery tornado in Kansas since 1950Warnings in force in Kansas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 8, 2026
3 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. A survey can be revised, so the rating, the path and the casualties can all still change.
Sources
NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit, the record the survey teams file from the damage, and NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Neither is the official database for 2026, which SPC publishes in the spring of 2027.