First Photograph Of A Tornado
I don’t suppose anybody is too shocked to discover the first image of a tornado was captured in Kansas. After all, the state is known for its tumultuous weather both in meteorology and pop culture. In the Wizard of Oz, it was a tornado that swept poor Dorothy and Toto into a fantastical world. Kansas has seen an average of 88 tornadoes annually over the past 30 years, according to the weather service. However, the Sunflower State only recorded 17 in 2020, its lowest annual total in more than 40 years.
The first known photograph of a tornado was taken on April 26, 1884, in Anderson County, Kansas – 133 years ago, according to the Kansas Historical Society. The tornado’s slow progress allowed local fruit farmer and amateur photographer A.A. Adams time to assemble his cumbersome box camera and capture this singular image. Positioned near the United Presbyterian Church in Garnett, Adams was standing just 14 miles from the cyclone.
