Kansas Air Guard Tests Tornado Response Skills

With vehicles strewn across roads, members of the Kansas Air National Guard turned Topeka’s Forbes Field into a disaster area to test emergency response skills.

The four-hour exercise Tuesday was to see how well members of the 190th Air Refueling Wing would respond to the aftermath of an EF-2 tornado striking the base south of Topeka.

Airmen and emergency response units were called shortly after 9:30 a.m. to respond to the tornado, which simulated damage to property and human casualties.

Capt. Joe Blubaugh, executive officer for the 190th, said the airmen practice tornado drills every year to test preparation and response skills. Tuesday’s drill simulated a small tornado that damaged a few buildings but spared the air wing’s KC-135 refueling aircraft parked on the tarmac.