2019 Lawrence–Linwood tornado
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 28, 2019 6:05 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | May 28, 2019 7:00 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 55 minutes |
| EF4 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 1,760 yards (1.00 mi; 1.61 km) |
| Path length | 29.07 miles (46.78 km) |
| Highest winds |
|
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 4 |
| Damage | $48 million (2019 USD) |
| Areas affected | Western Kansas City metro area, specifically Lawrence and Linwood, Kansas, United States |
Part of the Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 and Tornadoes of 2019 | |
During the early evening hours of May 28, 2019, a large and heavily rainwrapped tornado struck the western Kansas City metropolitan area, across Douglas and Leavenworth counties in eastern Kansas. It was the second violent (F4/EF4+) tornado to occur during a record 14-day long tornado outbreak sequence, which spawned approximately 400 tornadoes with the first EF4 tornado occurring a day prior in Ohio. In its wake, the tornado caused $48 million USD in total damages within the two counties, with nearby areas in the vicinity or within southeastern Lawrence, and Linwood taking the worst damage during the event. According to the National Weather Service weather forecasting offices (WFOs) in both Topeka, Kansas and Pleasant Hill, Missouri, the tornado was ultimately rated as low-end EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with estimated winds of 170 mph (270 km/h), though a storm chasing research team found winds of 190 mph (310 km/h) from a rocket probe. It caused 4 injuries but no fatalities before dissipating west of Bonner Springs, Kansas.
The tornado traveled 29.07 miles (46.78 km) through portions of the two counties. It reached a maximum width of a mile, or 1,760 yards (1.61 km) during its 55-minute lifespan across portions of the western Kansas City metropolitan area.