WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The 1950s were a challenging and changing time in Kansas’ weather history.
A series of deadly tornadoes altered how we would describe, forecast and alert severe storms at a time when mentioning the word “tornado” was taboo.
Air raid sirens became outdoor tornado warning devices, and a new wave of radar technology was born in Wichita.
Louisiana Purchase and other historic documents now on display at Kansas museum
Many sirens were initially installed as a way to prepare for an incoming military attack, according to Cody Charvet, deputy director of Sedgwick County Emergency Management. Civil defense drills were meant to prepare communities during the atomic age…