Motoring Monday - Codell tornadoes

A church in Codell was destroyed in the May 20, 1918, tornado.

May 20 may be just another day to most people, but it’s a date that will be forever etched into the history of one small Kansas town.

Starting in 1916, the town of Codell along K-18 in Rooks County would be struck by tornadoes not once, not twice, but three times in three consecutive years – all on May 20.

The first tornado in 1916 touched down in late afternoon about 3 miles south of Codell and traveled northeast for roughly 15 miles, just grazing the east edge of town. Several homes and farmsteads were damaged, and a few residents sustained injuries - however no one was killed. It would later be rated as an F2 storm on the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale.

The high school in Codell was also demolished in the 1918 tornado.

The 1917 storm was another late afternoon event, this time affecting the west edge of town. A stronger storm at an F3, the twister caused more damage than the previous year. But no lives were lost and few were injured. At the time, it was considered one of the most extensive tornadoes to hit the area, until disaster would strike again the following year.

A sculpture commemorates the three tornadoes that hit Codell.

Estimated at an F4 with wind speeds of more than 200 mph, the 1918 tornado was by far the largest and most destructive of the three. The twister spanned a path from Trego County to Osborne County, traveling approximately 60 miles over a six-hour period. Unlike the other storms, which hit during the late afternoon and early evening hours, the 1918 storm struck after dark. The tornado tore a path down the middle of town, destroying a majority of its homes, businesses, churches and the school. Ten people were killed and dozens more injured. After three twisters in three consecutive years, residents and businesses were hesitant to rebuild. The town would never fully recover and currently has a population of less than 100 residents.

May 20 became known as Cyclone Day in Codell with residents keeping an eye on the sky on that day for years to come. In 2018, on the 100-year anniversary of the last storm, a sculpture depicting a tornado was erected at the former high school to commemorate the trio of twisters.

For more information on the Codell tornadoes and to read a first-hand account of the 1918 storm, visit www.rookscounty.net/codell.