Stats
Path length: 6.3 miles
Width: 900 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 2
Rating: F4
County: Atchison, MO / Page, IA
Tornado Path
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SPC coordinates: Start: 40.55 / -95.38 End: 40.62 / -95.27
Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.
Summary
Per the SPC, 9 tornadoes occurred on April 5, 1954 all in KS, MO and IA. The strongest for the day was given a rating of F4. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes has a rating of F3 and notes there was “near-F4 damage”. This tornado developed about 2 miles NW of Westboro, MO and moved to near Northboro, IA. The Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) states this was the first in a family of 4 tornadoes. Grazulis mentions this was possibly a “twin tornado”. CDNS states this as well: “2 funnels seen in close proximity at time of strike.”
In Atchison County, 4 homes were destroyed, 4 damaged. 25 outbuildings were destroyed, 40 damaged. Crops and small trees were uprooted and up to 2 inches of topsoil was removed along the tornado path. Grazulis adds that in Missouri, 2 people were injured in the destroyed homes. A pickup truck was carried and rolled for 300 yards. He states that in Iowa, three homes were destroyed NW of Blanchard.
Newspaper Clippings
Discrepancies:
We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the April 1954 Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:
Width:
- SPC/NCDC list a width of 900 yards.
- CDNS has a range of widths from 500-900 yards.
- Grazulis has a width of 500 yards.
Path length:
- SPC/NCDC have a path length of 6.3 miles.
- CDNS has a 5 mile path in Atchison County (MO) but not length in Page County (IA).
- Grazulis has a path length of 8 miles.
Rating:
- Grazulis has a rating of F3 not F4 for this tornado. He mentions “near-F4 damage” to farms and other homes.
Sources:
April 1954 Climatological Data National Summary
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Page 977.
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