Together with Ideatek

LAST CALL!

Our friends at IdeaTek are giving away daily passes to local attractions from March 31 to April 9.

If you're looking for a local internet option that’s fast, reliable, and doesn't break the bank, these guys are the ones to talk to (we switched last year and haven’t looked back).

One entry qualifies you for the whole week of prizes. 

Twisters: Wichita Edition

Some of us have lived in the Wichita-area or Midwest (or the Great Plains if you want to be more specific) for quite a while and have had our fair share of tornado sightings.

Others are new to town and might not know what to expect.

Here is my crack at giving a short-ish rundown.

There are a few things you just accept when you live in Wichita.

• The wind will always be blowing.

• Kellogg will always be under construction.

• And at some point every spring… the sky is going to turn that weird shade of green.

We live in tornado country or more specifically Tornado Alley.

That isn’t meant to scare anyone, but just to realistically let people know that seeing a tornado isn’t completely out of the ordinary.

And if you’ve lived here long enough, you probably have a story:

• The sirens going off during dinner

• Setting up the lawn chairs out front for the best view

• Or that one night everyone still talks about

So let’s break it down… what does that look like, local tornados from the past, and more.

When is tornado season for Wichita?

Tornado season = April through June (with May being peak chaos).

That’s when:

• Warm, humid air pushes up from the Gulf

• Cold, dry air drops down from the Rockies

• And Kansas becomes the collision point

That combo creates the kind of instability that produces supercells (the storms that spin).

It happens fast. It can go from a totally normal day to more windy to extra humid then something feels off. All of a sudden the storm explodes and that is when you need to really pay attention.

Also important…. hail, straight-line winds, and flooding can oftentimes cause more damage locally than the tornadoes themselves.

What is the difference between a Watch and a Warning?

A WATCH means conditions are right. A WARNING means it’s happening

If you remember nothing else from this deep dive, remember this:

Warnings = go time.

Past Wichita-Area Storms

There’s a reason tornadoes feel different here. We’ve seen some bad ones.

1991 Andover Tornado

The 1991 Andover tornado is the one that lives in everyone’s memory, whether they experienced it or just grew up hearing about it.

An F5 with winds over 260 mph carved a path through Haysville, south Wichita, and Andover, destroying neighborhoods, hitting McConnell Air Force Base, and changing how this region thinks about storms.

It wasn’t just the strength, but also the speed, the lack of warning time, and how exposed parts of the community were at the time.

1999 Haysville Tornado

Eight years later, Haysville was hit again.

The 1999 tornado wasn’t an F5, but it didn’t need to be to leave a mark.

It tore through parts of Haysville and south Wichita, damaging homes, businesses, and infrastructure in an area that had already experienced how bad it could get.

2012 SE Wichita Tornado

By 2012, technology had improved, but the threat hadn’t changed.

I remember this one because I was in Fairmount South dorms at Wichita State and being a dumb 19 year old, didn’t take it seriously, but luckily it wasn’t near WSU.

An EF-3 tornado tore through southeast Wichita on April 14, 2012, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. It was one of the more direct hits to Wichita proper in recent history, moving through populated areas and leaving behind a long trail of destruction.

What stood out about this storm was how visible it was. Many people watched it unfold in real time on radar, on TV, even from a distance.

2022 Andover Tornado

Another tornado. Another path through Andover. Another moment where everyone in Wichita stopped what they were doing and watched radar.

But this time, the outcome was completely different. An EF3 still caused major damage (over a thousand buildings impacted) but there were no fatalities. That contrast says more than any stat could.

In 30 years, warning systems, communication, and behavior shifted enough to turn what could have been another tragedy into something survivable.

It was / is considered one of the most photographed / recorded tornadoes due to the lack of rain. Most tornadoes are rain wrapped, but this one let you view the tornado in all of its glory.

This one was fun to because I shared a video from legendary Storm Chaser Reed Timmer and nearly got sued (well his lawyers in NYC tried to sue me, but eventually dropped it…i think).

Fun fact: Reed Timmer inspired the Glen Powell character in the new-ish Twisters movie.

Why Wichita Gets Hit (and Why It Feels Like It Doesn’t)

Wichita sits in one of the most active severe weather regions in the world.

As my young kids ask me about at least 1000 time a day..

Why?

1. Flat land = nothing to disrupt storms

2. Dryline often sets up near central Kansas

3. Strong wind shear = rotation

It’s pretty much a perfect setup. But here’s the interesting part:

A lot of locals feel like Wichita itself gets “missed.” Yes, it hits the ‘burbs, but how often does it hit Wichita itself?

Which leads to one of the most Wichita theories ever…

The Keeper of the Plains Theory

There’s a long-running local belief:

The Keeper of the Plains protects Wichita from tornadoes.

The statue sits at the meeting point of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers (the confluence if you will) which could be called the symbolic center of the city.

The legend goes that tornadoes don’t cross where rivers meet or that the storms somehow “split” around Wichita.

You’ll hear versions of this everywhere from longtime locals to Reddit threads.

And to be fair… it feels true sometimes. Major tornadoes hit Andover, Haysville, Park City, etc, but Downtown Wichita seems to dodge the worst of it

Quick reality check - The 1991 tornado did hit parts of Wichita and there’s no scientific rule about rivers stopping tornadoes.

Still… when you watch a storm split on radar right before it hits downtown…

…it’s hard not to at least give the Keeper a little credit.

The Beacon wrote about it a while back too.

Realistically, it could be attributed to something called the Urban Heat Island.

Sirens, Alerts, and What People Still Get Wrong

Biggest misconception in Wichita:

Sirens are NOT meant to be your indoor warning system. (Also the Thunderbolt Sirens here deserve a full deep dive on their own.)

They’re designed for:

• People who are outside

• Parks, events, construction sites

If your plan is:

“I’ll hear the sirens and then decide what to do”

That’s not a plan. Our friends had their roof ripped off in 2022 and luckily saw the tornado out their front door (before any sirens went off).

You should have:

• Phone alerts turned on and A weather app with radar

The difference between past disasters and today?

Time and information.

Where Do You Go? (The Actual Plan)

This is the part people skip… until they shouldn’t.

Best options, in order:

1. Basement

2. Storm shelter / safe room

3. Interior room (no windows, lowest floor)

4. Bathroom / closet / under stairs

Specific situations:

• Apartments: know your lowest-level option ahead of time

• Mobile homes: you need a separate shelter plan

• Driving: don’t rely on outrunning a tornado

Local note:

• Some communities (like Andover) have public safe rooms

• Not every area does—so you need a plan before storm day

Stay Prepared

There are some basics you should have ready: flashlights, shoes by your bed, phone charger, meds, basic docs, etc.

And you should try to have it ready before the storm hits because you might not have time.

Let us know!

Together with Wichita Riverfest

Riverfest Sign-Ups are now open! Riverfest is only 79 days away which will be here before we know it.

This year the party takes place from May 29 through June 6, but you can sign up for many of the events today!

• 5/30 - Fidelity Bank River Run

• 5/30 - 6/5 - Photography Contest

• 6/6 - Pickleball Tournament “Dinks on the River”

• 5/30 - 6/2 - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

• 6/6 - Classic Car Show

• 5/31 - Cardboard Regatta

• 5/30 - Cowboy Bathtub Races

There are so many ways to get involved and participate, make this the year you try something new (or continue a tradition)!