Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 23, NWS Topeka, KS

July 26, 19904 counties in Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this flash flood warning at Jul 26, 1990, 7:25 AM CDT for 4 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 26, 1990, 7:25 AM CDT (12:25 UTC)
Expired
Jul 26, 1990, 10:06 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Ellsworth County, KS, Lincoln County, KS, Ottawa County, KS, Saline 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 12:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 198 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1990-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 142 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1990-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
142 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-133 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
673 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 261225
FFWCNK
KSC105-169-053-143-261630-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
725 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      SOUTHERN LINCOLN...SALINE...ELLSWORTH...

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      SOUTHERN OTTAWA...

AT 720 AM CDT 5 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN ACROSS THE AREA
LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED WATER OVER K-18 IN THE BEVERLY
AREA.  K-14 HAS WATER OVER THE ROAD NORTH OF ELLSWORTH.  THE CITY
OF SALINA REPORTED STREET FLOODING AND WATER OVER OLD HIGHWAY
40 2 MILES WEST OF SALINA.  RUN OFF FROM THESE RAINS WILL CAUSE
MOST CREEKS AND STREAMS TO OVER FLOW.

RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINS IN THE WARNED AREA WILL LIKELY FLOOD
STREAMS AND LOW AREAS.  BE CAREFUL DRIVING AND DON/T TRY TO CROSNS
WATER RUSHING OVER ROADS AND STREETS.

SCHNEIDER

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 26, 3:05 AM CDT, 4 hours 20 minutes before
KSZ013>016-260905-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
304 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

AT 250 AM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF NORTHEASTERN
AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS.

SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WERE LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES TO THE
SOUTHWEST OF LAWRENCE ALSO JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF EMPORIA AND
OVER MELVERN RESERVOIR OR ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH OF TOPEKA.  THESE
STRONGE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS
ALONG WITH INTENSE LIGHTNING.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST
NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH.

FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER
MUCH OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS WITH AREAS OF FOG DEVELOPING
TOWARD SUNRISE.  THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD DIMINISH BY MID MORNING.
LOW TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE MID 60S.  WINDS WILL BE FROM THE
SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH EXCEPT VARIABLE IN DIRECTION AND
OCCASIONALY GUSTY NEAR THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS.

FRANTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 3:32 AM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-260930-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
330 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR NORTHERN ELLSWORTH AND WILL NOT
BE REISSUED.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS HOWEVERE WITH HEAVY RAIN INDICATED 40 MILES WEST OF
CONCORDIA NEAR GLENN ELDER AND IN THE DENMARK AND ASH GROVE AREAS.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 10 MPH.

IN CENTRAL KANSAS AN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED 10 MILES NORTH OF
ELLSWORTH JUST EAST OF WILSON THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 10
MPH.

NO ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED HOWEVER AS THE RAIN
CONTINUES FALLING OVER ALREADY SATURATED GROUND. RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RISING INTO THE MORNING HOURS.

LOW LYING AREAS AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE LIKELY TO BE FLOODED.
PERSONS TRAVELLING IN THESE AREAS SHOULD USE CAUTION.  DO NOT TRY TO
DRIVE THROTUGH WATER FLOWING OVER THE ROAD.
MP
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 3:35 AM CDT, 3 hours 50 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-260930-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT....CORRECTION FIRST LINE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
330 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR NORTHERN ELLSWORTH COUNTY AND
WILL NOT BE BE REISSUED.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS HOWEVERE WITH HEAVY RAIN INDICATED 40 MILES WEST OF
CONCORDIA NEAR GLENN ELDER AND IN THE DENMARK AND ASH GROVE AREAS.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 10 MPH.

IN CENTRAL KANSAS AN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED 10 MILES NORTH OF
ELLSWORTH JUST EAST OF WILSON THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 10
MPH.

NO ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED HOWEVER AS THE RAIN
CONTINUES FALLING OVER ALREADY SATURATED GROUND. RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RISING INTO THE MORNING HOURS.

LOW LYING AREAS AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE LIKELY TO BE FLOODED.
PERSONS TRAVELLING IN THESE AREAS SHOULD [USE CAUTION.  DO NOT TRY TO
DRIVE THROUGH WATER FLOWING OVER THE ROAD.
MP
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 4:44 AM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-261040-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
442 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ON A SLOW DIMINISHING TREND ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

AT 440 AM RADAR SHOWED MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MOSTLY
EAST OF A LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM NEAR GRAND ISLAND NEBRASKA TO SMITH
CENTER TO NEAR STOCKTON TO ELLSWORTH THROUGH SALINA TO EMPORIA.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WERE LOCATED
20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG...NEAR ASH GROVE AND 5 MILES WEST OF
MINNEAPOLIS AND NEAR ABILENE.  BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST AT
AROUND 10 MPH.  FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY IN CENTRAL
KANSAS WHERE HEAVY RAINS FELL EARLIER TONIGHT.  MOTORIST SHOULD USE
CAUTION THIS MORNING AS LOW SPOTS AND UNDERPASSES MAY STLLL BE HAZARDOUS
DUE TO STANDING WATER.

SOME RAIN FALL REPORTS IN AT 440 THIS MORNING SHOW VERY HEAVY
RAINS FELL ON THE SALINE RIVER VALLEY IN CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY OVER/
NIGHT WITH 6 INCHES JUST SOUTH OF VESPER AND 4 INCHES AT SYLVAN GROVE.
6 INCHES WAS ALSO REPORTED AT HUNTER."
MP
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 5:41 AM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-261140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
540 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

AT 540 AM RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN 35 MILES EAST
OF PHILLIPSBURG...NEAR DOWNS AND 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF TIPTON.

THE THUNDERSTOMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH AND WILL MOVE TO NEAR
MANKATO TO THE GLENN ELDER RESERVOIR BY 630 AM THIS MORNING.  HEAVY RAIN
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED.

IN CENTRAL KANSAS THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED ALONG
A LINE EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREAT BEND TO 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SALINA.  HEAVY RAIN FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS IS FALLING
ON SATURATED GROUND SO FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IS LIKELY.

MOTORIST SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT THIS MORNING FOR WATER OVER THE ROADWAYS
AS WELL AS STANDING WATER IN UNDERPASSES AND IN LOW LYING AREAS.
MP
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 6:28 AM CDT, 57 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-261230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
627 AM CDT THU JUL 26 1990

AT 625 AM RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN 35 MILES WEST
OF CONCORDIA ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF LAKE WACONDA...10 MILES WEST OF
BELOIT AND 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF CONCORDIA JUST NORTH IF MANKATO.

THE THUNDERSTOMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH AND WILL MOVE TO JUST
NORTH OF BELLEVILLE AND TO NEAR GLASCO BY 730 AM THIS MORNING. HEAVY RAIN
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

IN CENTRAL KANSAS A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED 5 MILES
NORTHWEST OF ELLSWORTH AND WILL MOVE TO JUST NORTH OF KANOPOLIS BY 730
AM.  HEAVY RAIN FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS IS FALLING ON SATURATED GROUND
SO FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS/CREEKS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS LIKELY.

MOTORIST SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT THIS MORNING FOR WATER OVER THE ROADWAYS
AS WELL AS STANDING WATER IN UNDERPASSES AND IN LOW LYING AREAS.
MP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 8:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRussell54 min
Jul 25, 8:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLincoln62 min
Jul 25, 8:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPEllsworth62 min
Jul 25, 9:12 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPLincoln, Russell3 hr
Jul 25, 9:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRussell47 min
Jul 26, 1:24 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPEllsworth2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.