Westmoreland tornado
In the late afternoon hours of April 30, 2024, a strong tornado moved through the northern portions of Westmoreland, a community located in northern Kansas. The tornado, which was on the ground for eight minutes, killed one person and injured three others while producing monetary damage that totaled an estimated $2.6 million. The tornado was the strongest to hit Kansas during the 2024 tornado season, with wind speeds estimated to have been as high as within the funnel.
The tornado first touched down at 5:40 p.m. CDT, inflicting EF2-rated damage to a home and trees as it tracked northeast. To the east of Westmoreland Road the tornado reached EF3 intensity, destroying homes and sweeping debris to the northeast as it moved into higher-populated areas. Along its track through the northern portions of Westmoreland several mobile homes were completely destroyed. After leaving town it appeared to lift, producing little damage before lifting at 5:48 p.m. CDT after tracking for.
Recovery and aid efforts were intensive immediately following the tornado, with the "Westmoreland Long-Term Recovery Group" being established by the city to help aid residents, and other funds being allotted by those affected. It was found that the tornado sirens in Westmoreland failed; in February 2025, Kansas Representative Sharice Davids introduced the Weather Alert Response and Notification Act after a string of siren failures within the state.
Advanced forecasting
The Day 3 convective outlook, outlined by the Storm Prediction Center on April 28, outlined a "slight", level 2-out-of-5 risk for the northern Great Plains. The risk, which included portions of northeast Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa was accompanied by a 15% chance of severe weather in the slight risk zone. The SPC noted in the outlook that "possibly a tornado or two" were possible in the risk area. The Day 2 outlook, issued on the morning of April 29, saw an expansion of the "slight" zone and the addition of a "marginal", level 1-out-of-5 risk zone stretching from Texas to Central Minnesota. A 5% risk for tornadoes was introduced in the slight risk zone, as was a 15% "hatched" risk for damaging winds and another hatched, 15% risk for significant hail in the outlined area. A later update to the Day 2 outlook on the evening of April 29 expanded the 5% tornado risk, encompassing much of Eastern Kansas and Western Iowa.The Day 1 outlook, outlined on April 30, saw the introduction of an "enhanced", level 3-out-of-5 risk for many areas that had previously been included in the slight risk, including northeast Kansas. While the 5% risk for tornadoes largely stayed the same, the SPC denoted a 30% hatched risk for damaging hail for the area.
Aftermath and recovery
Approximately 22 houses were damaged or destroyed by the tornado, being deemed "unlivable". 13 more businesses were damaged during the event. The Small Business Administration offered low-interest federal disaster loans to businesses affected by the tornado. Damage from the tornado received a maximum rating of "EF3" on the Enhanced Fujita scale following a tornado damage survey by the National Weather Service, making the tornado the strongest to occur in Kansas during 2024 and the strongest until a more intense EF3 was confirmed north of Grainfield, Kansas during the tornado outbreak of May 18, 2025.On May 16, the SBA declared a disaster in the state of Kansas, effective from the date of signing to February 2025. The Red Cross dispatched damage assessors from the Wichita area to Westmoreland to aid in cleanup and recovery efforts.
Shortly after the tornado, the city of Westmoreland created the "Westmoreland Long-Term Recovery Group" to help residents of Westmoreland recover from the event. The city also invoked the "Caring Communities Fund", which allotted over $160,000 to Westmoreland residents who were affected by the tornado.
Death and WARN Act
One person, 58-year-old Ann Miller, was killed in her mobile home on North 4th Street by the tornado. Three others sustained injuries during the event. Tornado sirens in the town reportedly failed to sound.On February 6, 2025, Representatives Nick Langworthy and Sharice Davids introduced the Weather Alert Response and Notification Act. The act proposes that the Comptroller General of the United States conduct a study on the effectiveness of "emergency alerting systems in disseminating timely and relevant information", specifically on the effectiveness of the effectiveness of various platforms and social media sites, whether guidance and training exist for those issuing emergency alerts, and whether improvements could be made to outdoor siren systems. The act received bipartisan support, with 33 other representatives cosponsoring the bill. The bill is currently under discussion in the House Transportation Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
The act proposes that the Comptroller General of the United States conduct a study on the effectiveness of "emergency alerting systems in disseminating timely and relevant information", specifically on the effectiveness of the effectiveness of various platforms and social media sites, whether guidance and training exist for those issuing emergency alerts, and whether improvements could be made to outdoor siren systems. The bill is currently under discussion in the House Transportation Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.