One of the wort tornadoes in Kansas history roared across the state nearly a century ago today.

According to the National Weather Service, on May 7th, 1927 a huge F5 tornado raced 95 miles on the ground.

The massive tornado was nearly 2 miles wide. It formed in extreme South Central Kansas and didn’t lift for 95 miles, in Central Kansas.

The twister began in extreme Southeast Comanche County. The vortex quickly intensified, reaching nearly one mile wide. The tornado tore through Barber, Kingman, Eastern Reno and Southwest McPherson Counties; lifting 7 miles south southwest of McPherson.

The tornado killed 10, injured 300, and caused around $1.3 million damage. Most of the approximately 100 farmsteads that were hit vanished.

Four fatalities were 1 mile southeast of Medicine Lodge, one was 2 miles west of Kingman, three were in East Hutchinson where $750,000 damage resulted and two were in McPherson County.

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Augusta Historical Society / Museum Photo