WeatherBrains Episode 1067 is now online (June 29th, 2026). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE podcast for you!

This week’s WeatherBrains episode turns back to the clock to June 8th, 1966 and the Topeka, KS F5 tornado.

Our Guest WeatherBrain on tonight’s show is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the NWS in Topeka KS.  With over three decades of experience in the field, he’s been at the NWS for over 17 years.  As a Wisconsin native, he earned his degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin.  He’s committed to improving public awareness, preparedness, and response by integrating social science research into the NWS products and services.  Chad Omitt, welcome to WeatherBrains!  Our next Guest WeatherBrain is the local history librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County public library.   She holds a B.A. in forensic anthropology and history from Wichita State University.  She’s a speaker with the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau and gives educational programs about life in Kansas during the Dust Bowl.  Katie Keckeisen, welcome to WeatherBrains!

Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com.

• June 2026 Kentucky flooding (01:00)
• Katie’s early background in Kansas (07:00)
• June 8th, 1966 meteorological setup (10:45)
• Meteorological equipment used during during the 1960s (21:00)
• Visual photos of daytime Topeka tornado (26:30)
• Bill Kurtis and his role at WIBW-TV during the tornado (28:30)
• Save room on the volume knob for a “10”!  (37:00)
• Topeka’s Burnett’s Mound:  A historical deepdive (37:30)
• Kansas Governor’s response after tornado (44:00)
• Damage photos from tornadoes and the resulting changes to Topeka (49:30)
• Topeka tornado was one of the first utilizations of civil defense outdoor warning system (01:00:00)
• 1955 Udall KS tornado (01:00:30)
• Tornado subculture in the 1960s (01:07:30)
• Lessons learned from this event from 60 years ago (01:19:30)
• The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:26:00)
• This Week in Tornado History With Jen (No segment this week)
• E-Mail Segment (01:28:00)
• Sneak peak at future WeatherBrains episodes! (01:31:00)
• and more!

Web Sites from Episode 1067:  

Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau

“And Hell Followed With It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado” by Bonar Menninger

Alabama Weather Network

Picks of the Week:

Katie Keckeisen – Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

Chad Omitt – OTUS Project

James Aydelott – “History of Operational Use of Weather Radar by U.S. Weather Services. Part I: The Pre-NEXRAD Era”

Jen Narramore – Tornado Talk Podcast Episode 7: The 1966 Topeka Tornado

Rick Smith – Out

Troy Kimmel – Out

Kim Klockow-McClain – Foghorn

John Gordon – Collin Gross on X: Europe’s historic heatwave continues

Bill Murray – Out

James Spann – James Spann on X: Big Sky Montana snow photos

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.