Editing Manhattan, Kansas (section)

==Geography==
Manhattan is located at [[Geographic coordinate system|coordinates]] 39.1836082, -96.5716694 in the scenic [[Flint Hills]] and [[Great Plains]] of the state of [[Kansas]],<ref name="GNIS"/> or about {{convert|50|mi|km|0}} west of [[Topeka, Kansas|Topeka]] on the [[Kansas River]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has an area of {{convert|18.79|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|18.76|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.03|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=July 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112090031/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=January 12, 2012 }}</ref>

===Geographic features===
[[File:Flint Hills Discovery Center.JPG|thumb|right|[[Flint Hills Discovery Center]]]]
[[File:Rocky Ford spillway in Manhattan Kansas.jpg|thumb|Rocky Ford spillway fishing area on the [[Big Blue River (Kansas)|Big Blue River]] (2021)]]
Manhattan is in the [[Flint Hills]] region of Kansas, which consists of continuous rolling hills covered in tall grasses. However, the downtown area – Manhattan's original site – was built on a broad, flat [[floodplain]] at the junction of the Kansas and Big Blue rivers. Manhattan is the largest town in the Flint Hills, and is home to the [[Flint Hills Discovery Center]].

[[Tuttle Creek Reservoir]] is {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} north of Manhattan. The lake was formed when the Big Blue River was dammed for flood control in the 1960s, and it is now a [[List of Kansas state parks|state park]] that offers many recreational opportunities.  South of the city is the [[Konza Prairie]], a tallgrass [[prairie]] preserve owned by [[The Nature Conservancy]] and [[Kansas State University]].

====Earthquakes====
Kansas is not known for earthquake activity, but Manhattan is near the [[Nemaha Ridge]], a long structure bounded by several faults, and which is still active.<ref>{{cite journal|title=History of earthquakes in Kansas|author=Merriam, Daniel F.|journal=Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America|date=April 1956|volume=46|issue=2|pages=87–96|doi=10.1785/BSSA0460020087|bibcode=1956BuSSA..46...87M}}</ref> In particular, the [[Humboldt Fault]] Zone lies just {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} eastward of Tuttle Creek Reservoir.

On April 24, 1867, the [[1867 Manhattan earthquake]] struck Riley County. Measuring 5.1 on the [[Richter magnitude scale]], the earthquake's [[epicenter]] was by Manhattan. It remains the strongest earthquake to originate in Kansas, at an intensity of VII (''Very strong'') on the [[Mercalli intensity scale]], and felt across roughly {{convert|193051|sqmi|km2|0}}. It caused largely minor damage, reports of which were confined to Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri, according to the [[United States Geological Survey]].

Although Kansas is not seismically active, a strong earthquake could pose significant threats to the state. If an earthquake had occurred along the Nemaha Ridge prior to 2010, it could have destroyed the dam on Tuttle Creek Reservoir, releasing {{convert|300000|ft|m|0}} of water per second and flooding the nearby area, threatening roughly 13,000 people and 5,900 homes. A study in the 1980s found a moderate earthquake "between 5.7 to 6.6 would cause sand underneath the dam to liquefy into quicksand, causing the dam to spread out and the top to drop up to three feet." To address this threat, the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Army Corps of Engineers]] completed a project in July 2010 that replaced the sand with more than 350 concrete walls and equipped the dam with sensors. Alarms are connected to these sensors, which would alert nearby citizens to the earthquake.<ref name=LJW>{{cite news|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/may/02/shaking_kansas/|title=Earthquakes in Kansas a real threat|work=[[Lawrence Journal-World]]|author=Metz, Christine|date=May 2, 2008|access-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref>

===Climate===
Manhattan has a [[humid continental|humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa''), typically experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Peel | first1 = M. C. | last2 = Finlayson | first2 = B. L. | last3 = McMahon | first3 = T. A. | date = March 1, 2007 | title = Updated Köppen-Geiger climate classification map | journal = Hydrology and Earth System Sciences | issue = 4 | pages = 439–473 |  publisher = Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions | doi = 10.5194/hessd-4-439-2007 | url = http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/4/439/2007/hessd-4-439-2007.pdf | access-date = January 25, 2012| doi-access = free }}</ref> The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|29.1|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|80.0|°F|1}} in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds {{convert|90|°F|0}} an average of 58.9 days a year and {{convert|100|°F|0}} an average of 9.6 days. The minimum temperature falls to or below {{convert|0|°F|0}} on an average 4.1 days a year.<ref name = NOAA/> Extreme temperatures range from {{convert|116|°F|0}} on August 13, 1936, down to {{convert|-35|°F|0}} on [[Great Blizzard of 1899|February 12, 1899]].<ref name=NOWData/>

On average, Manhattan receives {{convert|35.77|in|mm|1}} of precipitation annually, a majority of which occurs from May to August, and records 102 days of measurable precipitation. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 8.8 days per year with 5.6 days receiving at least {{convert|1.0|in|cm}}. Snow depth of at least one inch occurs an average of 20.3 days a year. Typically, the average window for freezing temperatures is October 16 through April 20.<ref name=NOAA/><ref name = NOWData/>

{{Weather box
|location = Manhattan, Kansas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 75
|Feb record high F = 84
|Mar record high F = 95
|Apr record high F = 99
|May record high F = 103
|Jun record high F = 112
|Jul record high F = 115
|Aug record high F = 116
|Sep record high F = 112
|Oct record high F = 98
|Nov record high F = 90
|Dec record high F = 77

|Jan avg record high F = 63.9
|Feb avg record high F = 70.8
|Mar avg record high F = 80.8
|Apr avg record high F = 87.8
|May avg record high F = 92.8
|Jun avg record high F = 97.6
|Jul avg record high F = 102.9
|Aug avg record high F = 101.6
|Sep avg record high F = 96.6
|Oct avg record high F = 89.6
|Nov avg record high F = 75.1
|Dec avg record high F = 65.2
|year avg record high F = 104.4

|Jan high F = 39.6
|Feb high F = 45.1
|Mar high F = 56.3
|Apr high F = 66.4
|May high F = 75.9
|Jun high F = 85.8
|Jul high F = 90.8
|Aug high F = 89.0
|Sep high F = 81.3
|Oct high F = 69.1
|Nov high F = 54.6
|Dec high F = 43.0
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 29.1
|Feb mean F = 33.6
|Mar mean F = 43.9
|Apr mean F = 54.3
|May mean F = 65.0
|Jun mean F = 75.1
|Jul mean F = 80.0
|Aug mean F = 77.7
|Sep mean F = 69.2
|Oct mean F = 56.6
|Nov mean F = 43.2
|Dec mean F = 32.7
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 18.7
|Feb low F = 22.1
|Mar low F = 31.5
|Apr low F = 42.2
|May low F = 54.1
|Jun low F = 64.3
|Jul low F = 69.3
|Aug low F = 66.4
|Sep low F = 57.1
|Oct low F = 44.1
|Nov low F = 31.8
|Dec low F = 22.5
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -1.4
|Feb avg record low F = 3.4
|Mar avg record low F = 12.6
|Apr avg record low F = 25.9
|May avg record low F = 37.1
|Jun avg record low F = 49.8
|Jul avg record low F = 56.8
|Aug avg record low F = 54.2
|Sep avg record low F = 39.9
|Oct avg record low F = 25.9
|Nov avg record low F = 14.8
|Dec avg record low F = 3.9
|year avg record low F = -4.7

|Jan record low F = -31
|Feb record low F = -35
|Mar record low F = -12
|Apr record low F = 5
|May record low F = 23
|Jun record low F = 39
|Jul record low F = 45
|Aug record low F = 40
|Sep record low F = 26
|Oct record low F = 13
|Nov record low F = -9
|Dec record low F = -22

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.64
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.14
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.17
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.38
|May precipitation inch = 5.23
|Jun precipitation inch = 5.47
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.62
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.40
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.41
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.50
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.62
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.19
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 5.2
|Feb precipitation days = 5.6
|Mar precipitation days = 8.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.4
|May precipitation days = 12.9
|Jun precipitation days = 10.8
|Jul precipitation days = 9.9
|Aug precipitation days = 10.7
|Sep precipitation days = 8.4
|Oct precipitation days = 8.1
|Nov precipitation days = 6.4
|Dec precipitation days = 5.4
|year precipitation days = 102.0

|Jan snow inch = 4.8
|Feb snow inch = 5.0
|Mar snow inch = 1.8
|Apr snow inch = 0.1
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 1.1
|Dec snow inch = 4.8
|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 2.5
|Feb snow days = 2.3
|Mar snow days = 1.0
|Apr snow days = 0.1
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.1
|Nov snow days = 0.6
|Dec snow days = 2.2

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00144972&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Manhattan, KS
|access-date = August 23, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=top
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Topeka
|access-date = August 23, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

====Tornadoes====
[[File:Manhattan 2008 Tornado Damage.JPG|thumb|right|The 2008 tornado damaged an industrial area on the west side of Manhattan before hitting the KSU campus.]]
{{see also|June 2008 tornado outbreak sequence}}
The state of Kansas falls within an area sometimes called [[Tornado Alley]].  The most destructive [[tornado]] in Manhattan touched down at approximately 10:30&nbsp;pm on June 11, 2008. Thirty-one homes and several businesses were destroyed by the [[Enhanced Fujita Scale|EF4]] tornado. [[Kansas State University]]'s campus incurred about $20&nbsp;million in damage – a number of university buildings sustained significant damage and the tornado's winds destroyed the Wind Erosion Laboratory's garage.<ref>[http://www.kansas.com/457/story/432670.html Wichita Eagle-Beacon]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Tornadoes rip Manhattan, KSU damage more than $20&nbsp;million''</ref> No one was killed.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Hanna |title=Kansas residents assess damage after deadly twisters |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gvHC7Zr5kiY-lOpqndPZvOVefx8QD919534O2 |agency=Associated Press   |date=June 13, 2008 |access-date=June 13, 2008}}{{dead link|date=November 2012|bot=Legobot}}</ref>

Previously, the most destructive tornado to hit Manhattan was on June 8, 1966. The [[1966 Topeka tornado|1966 tornado]] caused $5&nbsp;million in damage and injured at least 65 people in Manhattan.<ref>{{cite news |title=City Officials set Damage at $5&nbsp;Million |url=http://www.cjonline.com/indepth/66tornado/stories/com_damageestimate.shtml |newspaper=Topeka Capital-Journal |date=June 10, 1966 |access-date=August 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517004249/http://www.cjonline.com/indepth/66tornado/stories/com_damageestimate.shtml |archive-date=May 17, 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = NOAA's National Weather Service  | title = The Topeka Tornado – June 8, 1966 | url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/top/events/66tornado.php | access-date = August 13, 2008 }}</ref>

====Flooding====
[[File:Tuttle Creek Spillway Flooding 1993.jpg|thumb|The Tuttle Creek Spillway Downstream Flooding after the emergency gates were opened in July 1993]]
Manhattan was built on a floodplain at the junction of the [[Kansas River|Kansas]] and [[Big Blue River (Kansas)|Big Blue]] rivers, and it has faced recurring problems with [[flood]]ing from heavy precipitation. The worst [[flood]]s were the 1903 and 1908 floods, the [[Great Flood of 1951]], and the [[Great Flood of 1993]].<ref>{{cite web | last = U.S. Geological Survey | title = The 1903 and 1993 Floods in Kansas | url = http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/fact-sheets/fs.019-03.pdf | access-date = December 6, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Davis | first = Kenneth | title = River on the Rampage | publisher=Doubleday | year = 1953}}</ref> In 2019, record amounts of rainfall in Kansas brought water levels up massive amounts and flood records were broken that had not been seen since 1993. Tuttle Creek Reservoir recorded its second highest flood level ever on May 31 at 1,135.80 feet above sea-level.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tuttlecreek.lakesonline.com/Level/Calendar/2019/05/|title=Tuttle Creek Lake Water Level History|website=tuttlecreek.lakesonline.com|access-date=August 27, 2019}}</ref> The only level higher came from The Great Flood of 1993, which recorded an astounding 1,138 feet above sea-level on July 23.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://themercury.com/news/looking-back-on-flood/article_38b83ca1-4db2-5065-a5b0-0c55a58b1be9.html|title=Looking back on '93 flood|last=Moser|first=Megan|website=The Mercury|language=en|access-date=August 27, 2019}}</ref> The top of the emergency Spillway gates measures at 1,136 feet, only 0.2 feet above the 2019 record lake level. The only time that the emergency Spillway gates have ever been opened was on July 19, 1993, at 3:15 PM. The gates were opened 0.8 feet which allowed 10,000 cubic feet per second of water to move through the downstream channel. The gates were slowly opened more each day until July 23 at a peak 60,000 cubic feet per second (450,000 gallons per second).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/USACETuttle/posts/1706177289497313 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/347464878701901/1706177289497313 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=Tuttle Creek Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=August 27, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The gates remained open until August 9, 1993. The normal level for Tuttle Creek Reservoir averages 1,075 feet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Tuttle-Creek-records-2nd-highest-water-level-in-lake-history-510394211.html|title=Tuttle Creek records 2nd highest water level in lake history|last=Viviani|first=Becky Goff; Nick|website=www.wibw.com|language=en|access-date=August 27, 2019}}</ref>