Tornado Outbreak Tears Through Central U.S. as Multi-Day Severe Weather Pattern Takes Hold

A severe weather outbreak swept across the central United States on the evening of April 13, 2026, producing at least 14 preliminary tornado reports across four states. The start of a dangerous multi-day pattern that forecasters warn is not yet over. Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin all recorded tornado activity, with the most significant structural damage reported in and around Ottawa, Kansas.

The Atmospheric Setup

The conditions that fueled Monday's outbreak were textbook ingredients for severe spring weather, stacking up in a dangerous combination. A daytime atmospheric cap, which had been suppressing storm development throughout the afternoon, finally weakened as evening approached. That collapse of the cap allowed supercells to fire explosively along a warm front draped across the Upper Midwest, while a dryline extending through the central Plains provided the additional forcing needed to sustain organized, rotating storms.

The result was a cluster of supercell thunderstorms with strong rotational characteristics. In eastern Kansas, a rapidly intensifying supercell developed over Pomona in Franklin County and tracked eastward, producing a confirmed tornado that touched down near 15th Street and Eisenhower Road in Ottawa. The storm carried half-dollar-sized hail as it moved east, and power flashes within the funnel indicated the tornado was actively destroying electrical infrastructure along its path. Approximately 12,000 customers lost power in east-central Kansas alone.