Disaster response: a review of the April 26, 1991, Kansas tornado.

Abstract

On the evening of April 26, 1991, between the hours of 2:30 PM and 11:30 PM, 11 tornadoes swept across 22 counties in Kansas. The most violent of these storms left a 75.mile path of death and destruction during the 70 minutes it was on the ground. According to the National Severe Storms Forecast Center, these tornadoes rated as an F5 on the Fujita Scale. The Fujita Scale rates tornadoes from FO to F5; F5 is the most severe. An F5 tornado has a rotational speed of 261 to 318 mph, with the power to hurl automobile-sized objects at 100 mph and the force to disintegrate homes (Figures 1 and a).’ As a result of the tornadoes, more than 5@l homes were destroyed, with damages estimated at $250 million. More than 1400 persons were left homeless, more than 200 sustained significant injuries, and 20 died.2 Wichita, the closest urban area, became the hub for patient transports from Harper, Sedqwick, and Butler counties. Wichita’s three major trauma centers and one smaller community hospital serve a community of approximately 350,000. These facilities worked cooperatively to ensure appropriate medical care during the disaster and collaborated afterward on this article to share the lessons learned.