1991 Great Plains tornado outbreak
1991 Great Plains tornado outbreak
From April 26 to 27, 1991, a powerful storm system produced 55 tornadoes across the U.S. Great Plains, mainly in Oklahoma and Kansas. The outbreaks were sparked by a strong trough, a dry line, and very unstable air that allowed storms to grow rapidly.
The deadliest tornado was an F5 that struck Andover, Kansas. It killed 17 people, destroyed hundreds of homes, and caused extensive damage around the city, including a large impact on a mobile home park. In total, the Andover tornado region contributed much of the fatalities for the day, part of a national toll of 21 deaths and 313 injuries.
Near Red Rock, Oklahoma, another supercell produced extreme winds. A mobile Doppler radar team measured peak winds of about 270–280 mph high in the funnel, among the strongest radar wind readings ever recorded. This helped confirm the tornado’s F5 intensity.
Other strong tornadoes rolled across Kansas and Oklahoma, including a long-track F4 that traveled about 66 miles near Garber and Billings, and an F2 near the El Dorado Lake turnpike underpass in Kansas.
The outbreak caused about $589 million in damages in 1991 dollars (roughly $1.36 billion in 2024 dollars). It also produced a notable safety lesson: a TV crew that sheltered under a Kansas Turnpike overpass during the Andover tornado highlighted why overpasses are not safe shelters during twisters.
Warnings and technology played a big role in the event’s story. The National Weather Service issued many watches and warnings, and the use of Doppler radar (NEXRAD) in Oklahoma allowed forecasters to see storm rotation and issue earlier alerts, improving lead times for future tornado warnings.
In the aftermath, federal aid helped affected counties recover, schools rebuilt, and communities resumed daily life. The outbreak is remembered for its impact and for advancing the use of radar data in tornado forecasting, a legacy that helped save lives in later storms.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:00 (CET).