Apr 22, 2021

20 years since devastating tornado in Hoisington

Posted Apr 22, 2021 11:00 AM

By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post

Hoisington residents yesterday remembered the tornado that ripped through their town 20 years ago. The Hoisington Historical Society invited the community to come to the American Legion building to view memorabilia relating to the storm that devastated their town.

Attorney Donald Reif was returning home from a trip to Topeka when the F4 tornado hit on April 21, 2001. He lost his home. And one of his neighbors, Gerald Tauscher, was killed. Reif remembers how the town was physically affected.

"Obviously it impacted a third of the town in that it destroyed many houses and some businesses," Reif says. "But I guess in some ways if you could see a fortunate side to such a tragedy, was that the downtown area business district was pretty much unscathed."

Hoisington Historical Society President Kenny Eaves was 19 at the time. He also recalls the aftermath.

"It brought the community together, different businesses and towns lending out their facilities to have dinners and things like that," Eaves said. "Just everybody pitching in to help each other out."

One resident was killed on the night of the storm. Two others died later from their injuries.