photo by: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

An EF0 tornado touched down in North Lawrence at 12:24 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

An EF0 tornado touched down in North Lawrence early Tuesday morning, according to damage assessment data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The tornado was estimated to be on the ground for just two minutes from 12:24 a.m. to 12:26 a.m., according to the NOAA.

The tornado’s path began near the intersection of Walnut St. and North Seventh St. in North Lawrence and moved northeast. The tornado stopped when it reached Maple St. and Mechanic St. The windspeeds on the tornado reached up to 80 miles per hour.

The EF0 rating is the weakest classification for a tornado, producing wind speeds between 65 and 85 miles per hour and typically cause minor damage. NOAA’s damage assessment of North Lawrence reported large branches being broken as well as trees being uprooted.

As the Journal-World reported, the middle-of-the-night severe storms on Monday night and early Tuesday morning damaged both properties and trees across Lawrence, with North Lawrence receiving the heavier damage.

Residents across the county were awakened by the county’s emergency storm warning sirens shortly after midnight when the National Weather Service in Topeka issued a tornado warning for Lawrence, Eudora and parts of rural Douglas County.

Douglas County commissioners declared a local state of emergency on Wednesday to address the damage from this week’s severe storms and prepare for additional incoming weather.

This declaration activates the county’s emergency response and recovery plans, allowing local officials and agencies to coordinate resources, provide assistance, remove hazards, and take other actions.

“Since I live in North Lawrence, right where there seemed to be a little bit of an epicenter of the storm … we did not receive much damage on our block but (were) surrounded by quite a bit of damage,” Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Reid said on Wednesday, adding that she was grateful to see neighbors helping neighbors after the storms and emergency services in action to help people get back to normal.

A marginal risk for severe weather was issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday. On Friday, no severe weather is projected, but some thunderstorms are expected. A slight risk of severe weather is anticipated on Saturday for the region, according to the National Weather Service.