Stats
Path length: 34.4 miles
Width: 150 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 1
Rating: F4
County: Pawnee, Barton
Tornado Path
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SPC coordinates: Start: 38.03 / -99.12 End: 38.45 / -98.78
Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.
Summary
On May 4, 1950, seven tornadoes were confirmed across the Plains, with the most powerful striking Kansas. Rated F4, this destructive tornado traveled more than 30 miles through portions of Pawnee and Barton Counties, carving a path up to 150 yards wide and injuring 30 people.
According to the May 1950 Climatological Data National Summary, significant damage occurred at the Barton Courts Federal Housing Project, located four miles west of Great Bend. Of the 100 units there, 66 were rendered unlivable, and eight of the 21 buildings were completely leveled. The most intense property damage was recorded in southeastern Pawnee County, as the tornado’s path swept near the community of Ray. In the small town of Zook, 11 homes were destroyed.
Thomas Grazulis noted in Significant Tornadoes that two homes in Zook sustained near-F5 level damage.
Newspaper Clippings
Discrepancies:
We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the May 1950 Climatological Data National Summary and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:
Path Length:
- SPC has the path length at 34.4 miles.
- NCDC has the path length at 33.8 miles.
- Grazulis and CDNS have a path length of 30 miles.
Max Width:
- SPC/NCDC and CDNS have the max width at 150 yards.
- Grazulis lists a max width of 200 yards.
Injuries:
- SPC/NCDC lists 1 injury from this event.
- Grazulis and CDNS list 30 injuries.
Counties:
The counties are in the wrong order in the SPC and NCDC databases. The tornado began in Pawnee County and went into Barton County where it dissipated. These databases list the starting lat/lon in Barton County and end it in Pawnee.
Sources:
May 1950 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 955.
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