National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

                      FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
 National Weather Service
 2142 S. Tyler Rd 67209
 Wichita KS
 Contact:  John Ogren
          (316) 945-3687                May 4, 1999
              NWS Rates the Wichita/Haysville Tornado F4
 The National Weather Service Damage assessment team has completed an aerial
 storm damage assessment of the Wichita/Haysville tornado.  The path was
 about 17 miles long beginning near Peck and traveled Northeast to just
 south of Haysville and then went nearly straight north along Seneca to
 I235.  From there the damage weakened significantly as the tornado went
 northeast to about Linwood Park.  Tree damage was also observed as far
 north as the College Hill area where numerous trees were uprooted but
 structural damage was minimal.
 Although a thorough ground survey has not yet been completed, it appears
 that this tornado caused F4 type damage in the Haysville and southern
 Wichita areas.  The definition of an F4 on the Fujita scale is one that has
 winds estimated 207-260 mph.  Well constructed houses are leveled;
 structures with weak foundations are blown some distance; cars are thrown
 and large missiles are generated.
 Exhibits:
 
 image 1: A map of all tornadoes which occurred in the Wichita County
          Warning Area.
 
 image 2: A more detailed map of the Wichita-Haysville tornado track.
 The following is a time line of those event that occurred at the National
 Weather Service prior to the tornado.
   5/3/99    1218 PM        Hazardous Weather Outlook issued stressing the
                            threat of hail, wind and tornadoes.
   5/3/99    721 PM         Tornado Watch #200 was issued for 35 Kansas
                            Counties including South Central Kansas.
   5/3/99    738 PM         Tornado Warning issued for Northern Sumner
                            County
   5/3/99    744 PM         Trained spotter reports a tornado near Mayfield
                            in Sumner County
   5/3/99    749 PM         Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for
                            Sedgwick County, specifically mentioning the
                            threat of tornadoes as a possibility.
   5/3/99    758 PM         Trained spotter reports a tornado 2 NW of
                            Wellington
   5/3/99    816 PM         Tornado Warning was issued for Southeast
                            Sedgwick and re-issued Northern Sumner County.
   5/3/99    830 PM         Trained spotters report a tornado near Peck
                            along the Sedgwick/Sumner County line
   5/3/99    843 PM         National Weather Service radar shows the tornado
                            entering the southern part of Wichita.
   5/3/99    848 PM         First reports of significant damage are received
                            around Seneca and MacArthur.
   5/3/99    920 PM         Tornado Warning expires.