Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 9, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Sep 8, 1989, 7:35 PM CDT for Geary County, Riley County, Kansas. It was in force for 40 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 8, 1989, 7:35 PM CDT (00:35 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 8, 1989, 8:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Geary County, KS, Riley County, KS
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 97 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
- 794 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -111 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 964 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 457 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 592 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 19.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KTOP 090036
TORTOP
KSC061-161-090115-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
735 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
...GEARY
IN NORTHEAST KANSAS
...SOUTHERN RILEY
AT 731 PM KANSAS STATE POLICE REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUDS OVER FORT RILEY.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 30-35 MPH.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO
TO A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A
TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.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, Sep 8, 3:55 PM CDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-082200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 355 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989 THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. AT 355 PM THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND PERHAPS SOME HAIL WERE ON A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF CONCORDIA NEAR MANKATO TO 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF CONCORDIA OR 10 SOUTH OF BELOIT TO 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAYS OR 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RUSSELL. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE AND MOIST AND STORMS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN STRENGTH. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH COVERS NEA RLY ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING. PERSONS SHOULD STAY ALERT AND BE AWARE OF YOUR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. SEVERE WEATHER IS A POSSIBILITY ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINS CAUSING FLASH FLOODING. ADAMS
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 4:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-082245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 435 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989 AT 435 PM THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND PROBABLY SOME HAIL WERE SCATTERED FROM 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF CONCORDIA IN THE MANKATO AREA TO 20 MILES SOUTH/ WEST OF CONCORDIA. ANOTHER AREA OF STORMS WITH ABOUT THE SAME TYPE OF WEATHER WERE LOCATED 25 MILES EAST OF HAYS IN THE RUSSELL AREA. ANOTHER STORM WAS MOVING INTO THE GREAT BEND AREA. ALL OF THESE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PERSONS IN ADVANCE OF THESE STORMS STAY ALERT AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH COVERS NEARLY ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS DURING THE EVENING HOURS. HEAVY RAINS FALLING ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND WILL GIVE A LOT OF RUNOFF WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. SO PER,SONS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS STAY ALERT. ADAMS
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 5:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-090000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 555 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989 AT 555 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL WERE FROM 10 MILES NORTH WEST OF CONCORDIA TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF CONCORDIA NEAR NARKA. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WESTERN CLOUD AND REPUBLIC COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED AND WILL NOT BE EXTENDED...THE STORMS HAVE WEAKENED. AT 545 PM CDT THE CLOUD COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED WATER OVER THE ROAD WEST OF JAMESTOWN. PERSONS TRAVELING THIS EVENING SHOULD BE ALERT FOR FLOODED ROADWAYS AND DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS. ALSO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH OVERNIGHT. SCHNEIDER
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 6:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-DDHHMM- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 6 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989 AT 6 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL WERE 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF SALINA NEAR WESTFALL AND 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF SALINA NEAR SYLVAN GROVE AND A 10 MILE WIDE AREA OF STORMS WAS FROM 5 MILES EAST OF SALINA NORTHEAST TO CLAY CENTER OR 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CONCORDIA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS WILL FLOOD ROADWAYS IN A SHORT TIME...IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THIS EVENING AND DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADS. ALSO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 10 PM CDT. SCHNEIDER
Special weather statement, Sep 8, 6:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-DDHHMM- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - RESENT FOR POLICE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 6 PM CDT FRI SEP 8 1989 AT 6 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL WERE 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF SALINA NEAR WESTFALL AND 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF SALINA NEAR SYLVAN GROVE AND A 10 MILE WIDE AREA OF STORMS WAS FROM 5 MILES EAST OF SALINA NORTHEAST TO CLAY CENTER OR 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CONCORDIA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THESE STORMS WILL FLOOD ROADWAYS IN A SHORT TIME...IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THIS EVENING AND DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADS. ALSO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 10 PM CDT. SCHNEIDER
The office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 7:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Pottawatomie, Riley | 54 min |
| Sep 8, 7:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Marshall | 63 min |
| Sep 8, 7:33 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Washington | 4 hr |
| Sep 8, 7:43 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Cloud, Republic | 4 hr |
| Sep 8, 10:03 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Douglas, Osage, Shawnee | 3 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes in 1989
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.