Casualties
| State | Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 17 | Leavenworth | 1 |
| Shawnee | 16 | ||
| Illinois | 1 | Cook | 1 |
| Totals | 18 | ||
Total dollar cost from the storm was put at $100 million making it, at the time, one of the costliest tornadoes in American history. Even to this day, with inflation factored in, the Topeka tornado stands as the seventh costliest tornado on record.
The tornado killed 16 people, but many believe that had the tornado hit during school and work hours or during the night, that as many as 5,000 people would have been killed. Bill Kurtis was credited for saving many lives with his urgent message to take cover.
Read more about this topic: 1966 Topeka Tornado