25 years ago, on April 21, shortly after 9:00 PM CST, a tornado touched down southwest of Hoisington and moved northeast, crossing West 2nd Street and directly impacting multiple homes. As it tore through residential areas on the south side of town, the storm tracked roughly parallel to South Main Street, one of the city’s primary corridors. A 69-year-old man was killed when his home was struck—he was the father of a friend and classmate.
After passing through the downtown area, the tornado began to weaken, producing F2-level damage as it moved beyond the city limits. It dissipated shortly thereafter, leaving a path approximately five miles long.
In total, the tornado destroyed around 200 homes, severely damaged another 85, and leveled 12 businesses. One fatality was reported, along with 28 injuries.
As you know, 25 years ago there wasn’t the level of technology we have today in 2026. At the time, Tony, Cole, and I were living in Ohio when I got a call from my mom telling me a tornado had just hit Hoisington. Having grown up in Kansas—part of what’s often called “Tornado Alley”—I initially didn’t think much of it, since tornadoes were something I was used to hearing about.
But my mom quickly made it clear this was different—it was a direct hit. I immediately turned on the TV and checked The Weather Channel, and sure enough, it was already on the news. She believed their home had only minor damage. At the time, my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew (who was six months old) lived about a block to the south and experienced minimal damage. My aunt, who lived about three blocks southwest, also had only slight damage to her home. I’m incredibly thankful they were all safe.
Many of my classmates and friends weren’t as fortunate. Several of their parents’ homes were heavily damaged or destroyed—three of my closest friends lost the homes they grew up in. Tragically, one of my classmates also lost his father in this devastating event.
Hoisington’s population was just under 3,000, and it is truly a tight-knit community. In the aftermath, search dogs were brought in along with structural engineers to assess damage and ensure safety. Volunteers poured in from surrounding towns, and family members traveled from out of town bringing truckloads of food and water. They went door to door, helping residents assess damage and beginning the long process of cleanup and recovery.
I remember coming back to visit in June and walking through the neighborhoods, barely recognizing where anything was. Growing up, you don’t pay much attention to street names—you remember places by landmarks and people’s homes, not addresses. With so much gone—and even the streetlights missing—everything felt unfamiliar and eerie.
My cousin Deb and her husband Jim flew in from Wichita and took my dad and me up in their private plane. From above, we could clearly see the path the tornado had carved through the community.
From the stories I’ve heard over the years, a wedding was taking place out of town that evening, and many residents were attending. The high school prom was also being held at the Knights of Columbus, so fewer people were at home when the tornado struck.
In many ways, that likely reduced the number of people in harm’s way. Still, it’s the kind of situation where you wish everyone had been somewhere safe—ideally in a basement at home, surrounded by family, riding it out together.
The town has since been rebuilt, and if you lived outside the area or didn’t know anyone from Hoisington, you would never know a tornado tore through it 25 years ago. I’m very proud of my hometown and the way the community came together to support one another in the aftermath.
Even now, it’s still hard for me to go back and recognize places. It isn’t what I remember growing up. The high school is different, the grocery store, bowling alley, and Dairy Queen have changed, and the old water tower is gone—the place where seniors used to hang their banners the week of graduation. Walking through town now, so much feels unfamiliar compared to the memories I grew up with.
But even with all the change, I’m still proud to call Hoisington my hometown.
My nephew, Payton Steiner, who is a photojournalist and reporter with KSN News, went back to Hoisington on the 25th anniversary of the tornado and interviewed some of the survivors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S26fVVcEY10
