Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1987
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Wichita, KS
NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at Jul 5, 1987, 6:27 AM CDT for Butler County, Sedgwick County, Kansas. It was in force for 33 min. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 5, 1987, 6:27 AM CDT (11:27 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 5, 1987, 7:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wichita, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Butler County, KS, Sedgwick County, KS
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 6:35 AM CDT | Tornado F1 | Butler, KS | |
| Jul 5, 6:40 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Butler, KS | |
| Jul 5, 6:45 AM CDT | Tornado F2 | Butler, KS | |
| Jul 5, 6:45 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Butler, KS | |
| Jul 5, 7:05 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Butler, KS |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 193 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 528 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -91 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1037 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -14 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- -0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KICT 051127 TORICT KSC015-173-051200- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 627 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS... BUTLER SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS... SEDGWICK AT 620 AM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCMENT IN THE CITY OF WICHITA. THIS TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND AND CAUSI NG DAMAGE. ALL PEOPLE NEAR THIS DANGEROUS STORM SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. FEH
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 3:40 AM CDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 335 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS...AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA... AT 3 30 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN PLAGUE KANSAS FROM THE CENTRAL INTO THE SOUTHWEST...MAINLY NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES NORTH OF MCPHERSON SOUTHWEST TO LARNED TO THE OKLAHOMA BORDER SOUTH OF DODGE CITY. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS ABOUT 20 MIL(ES WEST OF LARNED. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH. OTHER WEAKER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING FROM SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS TO THE NORTH/ EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 4:15 AM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 415 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS...AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA...UNTIL 9AM CDT... AT 410 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS. THE LEADING EDGE WAS FROM COLDWATER TO ST JOHN TO LYON TO SOUTHEAST OF SALINA AT HOPE. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. HAIL...VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. CONTINUE TO MONITOR RADIO...TELEVISION AND NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO FOR LATER STATMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINOGS. ALSO BE PREPARED TO GO TO A SAFE PLACE IF THREATENING WEATHER IS EXPERIENCED OR REPORTED. FH
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 4:39 AM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 440 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS...AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA...UNTIL 9AM CDT... AT 430 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FROM CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST KANSAS...MAINLY IN A LINE FROM JUST WEST OF WHITE CITY TO GREAT BEND TO GREENSBURG TO THE OKLAHOMA BORDER SOUTH OF ASHLAND. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 40 MPH AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED WITH BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...SOME HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR ASHLAND...JUST SOUTHWEST OF GREENSBURG...JUST WEST OF GREAT BEND...NEAR MCPHERSON AND ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF SALINA. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS MAINLY INTO RENO AND KINGMAN COUNTIES BY 5 30 AM THEN ACROSS THE REST OF SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES BY 8 AM CDT.
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 6:11 AM CDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 605 AM CDT SUN JUL 5 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS...AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA...UNTIL 9AM CDT... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR EASTERN CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 1100 AN CDT... AT 600 AM CDT...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN KANSAS. THE LEADING EDGE WAS FROM ANTHONY TO WEST OF WICHITA AT GARDEN PLAIN TO NEWTON TO WEST OF TOPEKA AT WHITE CITY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EASTERLY AT AROUND 40 MPH AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED WITH BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...SOME HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS WEST OF A LINE FROM CHANUTE TO TOPEKA. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NORTHEASTERLY AT 35 TO 40 MPH. FH
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 5:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Marion | 65 min |
| Jul 5, 5:34 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Kingman | 26 min |
| Jul 5, 6:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Sedgwick | 26 min |
| Jul 5, 6:17 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Sumner | 33 min |
| Jul 5, 7:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler | 29 min |
| Jul 5, 7:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Chautauqua, Elk | 62 min |
| Jul 5, 7:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Greenwood | 62 min |
| Jul 5, 8:19 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Allen, Bourbon, Neosho | 61 min |
| Jul 5, 8:19 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Crawford | 61 min |
| Jul 5, 8:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Wilson | 30 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes in 1987
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.