Are tornado urban legends like the ‘Tonganoxie Split’ real?

About this episode

Mackenzie Martin and Maya Cederlund investigate the reality behind urban legends of tornadoes splitting around cities like Tonganoxie, Kansas.

For decades, urban legends have held that tornadoes seem to “split” around certain cities, like Tonganoxie, Kansas, or avoid sacred places, like Burnett’s Mound in Topeka. Mackenzie Martin and Maya Cederlund investigate whether these weather myths are backed up by evidence -- or if they’re just stories we tell ourselves in the dark. Support this podcast by becoming a KCUR member!: https://kcurwebdonate.umkc.edu/alleg/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=F13SOCIAL&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=8cudlVFocLfjxn40cNGmMa1gzMC6uhq5nDjkJobrCdg%3d See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Mackenzie Martin

Topics covered

• tornadoes
• urban legends
• weather myths

Keywords

• Tonganoxie Split
• sacred places
• Burnett’s Mound
• Topeka

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Tonganoxie, Kansas, Topeka

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