Early June is when Emporia notes anniversaries of notable tornado activity.
Monday, June 8, is now the 52nd anniversary of an F-4 tornado that traveled from west Emporia to near Auburn, a distance of 38 miles, before dissipating. The tornado started just outside Emporia’s Hostess plant and almost immediately shredded much of Flinthills Mall, which had fully opened to the public just a few months before the twister. It also heavily damaged Four Seasons Apartments and Lincoln Village before heading out of town. All told, the tornado killed 6 people, injured around 200, caused roughly $25 million in damage based on 1974 dollars — or almost $170 million today.
Sunday, June 7, was the 36th anniversary of an F-2 tornado that started around 5 miles due west of the Emporia Municipal Airport and tracked to the north-northeast, injuring close to 20 people before it lifted around 3 miles north of Emporia. Unlike the 1974 tornado, which had a path width of around half-a-mile at its peak, the 1990 twister was around 100 yards wide as it traveled through Emporia’s western edge.
