On the morning of Friday, April 26, 1991, strengthening low pressure was over northeastern Colorado. A warm front snaked eastward from the low, stretching over southern Nebraska, northeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri and then into Arkansas. Kansas found itself in the warm sector of the developing cyclone. Concerned about the potential for severe weather, the National Severe Storms Forecast Center had posted a high risk outlook for the day. It was unusual, because it had been issued the day before.
Just before 6 p.m., a narrow funnel touched down near Haysville, Kansas. This tornado would go on to become one of the most famous in U.S. history. It caused quite a bit of damage in Haysville, some of it rated F3, but no fatalities. It crossed the Kansas Turnpike and headed toward McConnell AFB. As it hit the base, the tornado intensified, becoming a powerful F4 storm. The twister narrowly missed a line of B1 bombers worth billions of dollars, but still managed to cause over $60 million in damage on the base.
As it moved northeastward, it set it sights on the town of Andover. It grew to be an F5 monster as it bore down on the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. A heroic police officer drove through the park to warn residents, but they had no shelter. The tornado virtually wiped the mobile home park off the map. A total of thirteen people perished there.
Along its 46 mile path the Andover tornado killed 17 people. A total of 55 tornadoes that fateful day killed 24 people across Oklahoma and Kansas.
