SPC Stats
Path length: 7 miles
Width: 500 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 7
Rating: F3
County: Jewell, Republic (KS) / Nuckolls (NE)
Tornado Path
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SPC coordinates: Start: 39.93 / -97.98 End: 40.03 / -97.92
Corrected Coordinates based on damage reports:
Start: 39.921686 / -97.954151 End: 40.021359 / -97.922304
Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.
Five tornadoes are a part of the SPC Database for September 18, 1986. We look at the strongest, an F3 that traveled from Jewell and Republic Counties in KS into Nuckolls County, NE. It hit the town of Hardy, NE. There is a discrepancy on the path length of this tornado. The SPC and NCDC Databases along with Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, lists a path of 7 miles. Yet, the September 1986 Storm Data Publication states the path was 13 miles. The tornado moved six miles in KS and seven in NE.
Grazulis mentions this was probably an F4.
The tornado began 7 miles west of Republic, KS. There were several farms with extensive damage in Jewell and Republic Counties. More extensive damage occurred in Hardy, NE. Ten homes and businesses in the small town were destroyed. Over 100 other buildings had minor damage. An article in the Columbus Telegram from September 19, 1986 stated that the co-op, the lumber yard and a gas station were all leveled. Seven people were injured.
Images Extracted from Storm Data
Newspaper Clippings
Discrepancies:
We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the September 1986 Storm Data Publication and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:
Path Length:
- Storm Data has a path length of 13 miles (6 in Kansas, 7 in Nebraska).
- Remaining sources have the path at 7 miles.
Sources:
September 1986 Storm Data Publication
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Page 1276.
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