Storm reports for May 25, 2016

A violent tornado crossed north central Kansas on the evening of May 25, 2016. It touched down just north of Niles at 7:07 p.m. and lasted until about 8:40 p.m., covering 26 miles. It passed 2 to 3 miles north of Abilene and about 1 mile south of Chapman.¹ NWS Topeka rated it EF4, with peak winds estimated at 180 mph and a width up to half a mile. The worst damage was just southwest of Chapman, where a farmstead was destroyed.¹ The tornado destroyed 2 homes in Ottawa County, and 20 to 25 homes were damaged or destroyed in Dickinson County. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 3 minor injuries in Ottawa County and about 5 in Dickinson County, none needing a hospital visit.^2,3 The same storm later produced EF1 tornadoes near Dwight in Morris County, which damaged barns and power poles, and south of Eskridge in Wabaunsee County, which damaged a structure and power poles.^1,4,5

Earlier that afternoon in west central Wisconsin, winds estimated at 80 to 90 mph hit a one-mile swath on the west side of Prairie Lake in Barron County. Residences and cabins had significant structural damage, and falling trees badly damaged several lake homes. The Storm Events Database lists $1.5 million in property damage.⁶ In South Dakota, hail up to 3 inches across fell at Philip in Haakon County, and baseball-size hail damaged several vehicles near Harrold.^7,8