Storms that made the state famous

After a year in which Kansas endured destructive ice storms, killer tornadoes and severe flooding, it seemed the Kansas Museum of History carefully timed the opening of an exhibit on extreme weather. But organizers say the timing is a coincidence, because they have been working on the "Forces of Nature” exhibit for more than a year.

"Weather is a huge part of our identity,” said Rebecca Martin, project manager for the exhibit, which opened Friday at the Kansas Museum of History. "People around the world will forever associate us with a really famous tornado in ‘The Wizard of Oz.'”

The Kansas State Historical Society is using the exhibit to collect Kansans' recollections of memorable storms. The exhibit displays photos of power lines and utility poles sagging under the weight of ice from the winter of 2006-07 next to a photo from an 1886 blizzard. It also highlights major floods along the Kansas River in 1903 and 1951, as well as severe dust storms in the 1930s.

The Associated Press