1978 Pomona Lake tornado

1978 tornado in Kansas, USA May 2025 February 2025 1978 Pomona Lake Tornado 1978 Pomona Lake tornado.jpg 300 The tornado as seen from the shore of Pomona Lake. June 17, 1978 F1 16 3 $250,000Kansas Event Report: F1 Tornado, National Climatic Data Center Tornadoes of 1978 The 1978 Pomona Lake tornado, also known as the Whippoorwill Disaster, was a deadly tornado that struck Osage County, Kansas on June 17, 1978. The tornado, which was on the ground for 8 mi km, struck a tourist boat called the Whippoorwill, causing it to capsize and drowning 16 out of the 58 passengers and crew.National Weather Service 2006 1978 WHIPPOORWILL TORNADO DISASTER NOAA 2006-12-04 http://www.crh.noaa.gov/top/events/whippoorwill.php https://web.archive.org/web/20070108105040/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/top/events/whippoorwill.php 8 January 2007 live In the United States, the tornado is the deadliest F1 rated tornado on the Fujita scale.https://www.factsjustforkids.com/weather-facts/tornado-facts-for-kids/fujita-scale/f1-tornado.html F1 Tornado - Fujita Scale factsjustforkids.com June 20, 2019 Storm history The tornado formed at 7 p.m. (CST) and moved erratically eastward for 8 miles before dissipating near the small town of Michigan Valley. The tornado was too small to be detected on radar, and eyewitnesses stated that the tornado was only 150 yards wide but had a multiple vortex structure. Some reported another tornado in the area although it was not confirmed by the National Weather Service.Tornadoes:Case Studies Thinkquest 2006-12-04 http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/tornadoes/casestudies.shtml#32 https://web.archive.org/web/20061107195949/http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/tornadoes/casestudies.shtml 7 November 2006 dead Impact left|thumb|Rescue boats surrounding the capsized showboat "Whippoorwill" At the time of the tornado, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Franklin County, Kansas. At the same time, the showboat Whippoorwill left its mooring at Pomona Lake carrying 58 passengers and crew. Eyewitnesses of the disaster stated that they saw the tornado forming at the west end of the lake. The tornado strengthened as it raced toward the boat. The tornado struck the boat and capsized it before moving on to land.Cleon Rickel Pomona Lake tornado resulted in tragedy Ottawa Herald 2006-12-04 http://www.ottawaherald.com/ottawaguide/2000/pomonatornado.html https://archive.today/20061017221002/http://www.ottawaherald.com/ottawaguide/2000/pomonatornado.html 2006-10-17 dead After the tornado moved away, rescuers began to pick survivors off from the hull of the capsized ship. One rescuer, the owner of Lighthouse Bay Marina, and diver, Lawrence Stadel, dove under the boat and found two more survivors, trapped in air pockets. The tornado that capsized the boat later caused minimal damage to mobile homes before dissipating. In total, 16 people were killed in the incident, including three faculty members from the Emporia State University School of Library and Information Management. https://alair.ala.org/items/8f64b444-7652-4b9f-9d60-d3344e531f87 Zubaidah Isa (1922-1978) McCook, Kathleen 2026 American Library Association ALAIR PDF 2026-06-11 ESU SLIM department plants tree in memory of Zubaida Isa after Whippoorwill boating tragedy https://kvoe.com/2018/10/03/esu-slim-department-plants-tree-in-memory-of-zubaida-isa-after-whippoorwill-boating-tragedy/ 2022-08-25 KVOE en Aftermath The owners of the ship closed down their dinner theater a few years after the disaster. The Whippoorwill itself was repaired and converted into a houseboat dubbed Georgia May. In 2005, while docked in shallow water, a small fire caused the boat to sink. It was then towed to a spot near Vassar, Kansas and left to rust. The boat was sold in 2016 to two brothers, Matt and Josh Abramovitz, who intended to repair it and put it back into service by offering day cruises.Hrenchir Tim 'Whippoorwill' paddle boat to cruise again https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2018/06/10/brothers-fix-up-whippoorwill-paddle-boat-involved-in-1978-disaster/11999951007/ 2022-08-25 The Topeka Capital-Journal en-US The boat was sold again in 2022 to Innovative Technology Services, Inc. and rechristened as the HHS Host of Sparrows. It is currently in dry dock at the Lake Perry Reservoir undergoing remodel to have safety features added and become a Pirate themed commercial charter boat to be launched in Spring of 2024.Mead Barclay 'Whippoorwill' to become the "HHS-Host of Sparrows" https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089297651145 2023-05-27 HHS-Host of Sparrows en-US See also List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks Tornadoes of 1978 References Category:F0 and F1-equivalent tornadoes 06-17 Category:Tornadoes in Kansas 06-17 Tornado, 06-17 06-17 Whippoorwill tornado Tornado, 17