Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Topeka, KS

May 15, 1990Franklin County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this flash flood warning at May 15, 1990, 12:38 PM CDT for Franklin County, Kansas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 1990, 12:38 PM CDT (17:38 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 1990, 3:00 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Franklin 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, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 57 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 1990-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 263 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1990-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 249 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
263 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-127 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
389 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
8.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 151740
FFWTOP
KSC059-152000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1238 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  300 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
          ...FRANKLIN
 
THUNDERSTORMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVERNIGHT AND DURING THE MORNING
HOURS HAVE SATURATED THE GROUND IN FRANKLIN COUNTY AND CAUSED SMALL
CREEKS TO RISE TO BANKFUL AND CAUSE FLOODING SECONDARY ROADS.
ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL OCCUR OVER FRANKLIN COUNTY THROUGH MID AFTERNOON.
THIS WILL AGGRAVATE THE SITUATION.
 
 
MOST FLOODING DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS BRIDGES... DIPS... OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL
ONE...ON FOOT.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS WATER-COVERED ROADWAYS. THE
WATER DEPTH AND CURRENT MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.

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, May 15, 9:11 AM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-151500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
910 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR REPUBLIC..NORTHERN CLOUD..NORTHERN
CLAY AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES OF NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL NOON CDT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINES FOR ALL OF CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 10 AM CDT.

AT 910 AM CDT ALL THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ENDED ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRA\L KANSAS.  THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS NORTH
EAST KANSAS.

FLOODING CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN REPUBLIC COUNTY WITH SOME
Special weather statement, May 15, 9:14 AM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-151500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
910 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR REPUBLIC..NORTHERN CLOUD..NORTHERN
CLAY AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES OF NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL NOON CDT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINES FOR ALL OF CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 10 AM CDT.

AT 910 AM CDT ALL THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ENDED ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS.  THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS NORTH
EAST KANSAS.

FLOODING CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN REPUBLIC COUNTY WITH SOME MINOR FLOODING
ACROSS NORTHERN CLOUD COUNTY.  SOME FLOODING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IN
WASHINGTON AND NORTH CLAY COUNTlIES.   DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED
ROADWAYS
SCHNEIDER
Special weather statement, May 15, 9:21 AM CDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
KSZALL-151500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
920 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 234 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR PART
OF KANSAS.  THE WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

...NORTHWEST...
DECATUR         GRAHAM          NORTON          RAWLINS
SHERIDAN        THOMAS

...WEST CENTRAL...
GOVE            LANE            LOGAN           NESS
SCOTT           TREGO           WICHITA

...CENTRAL...
ELLIS           RUSH

SOUTH CENTRAL...

PAWNEE

THE FOLLOWING CITIES ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH...

HAYS            HILL CITY       SCOTT CITY

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 234 REMAINS IN EFFECT OVER MUCH OF
CENTRAL KANSAS AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 235 CONTINUES FOR
ALL OF EASTERN KANSAS UNTIL 10AM.  THESE TWO WATCHES WILL LIKELY
BE EXTENDED SOON.

SCHURR
Special weather statement, May 15, 10:03 AM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-151500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1001 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR NORTHERN CLOUD...NORTHERN CLAY...
WASHINGTON AND REPUBLIC IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS ARE CANCELLED...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND THE
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING HAS ENDED.

MINOR RUNOFF AND STANDING WATER IN LOW LYING AREA WLLL BE A PROBLEM
HOWEVER THROUGH MIDDAY.

MP
Special weather statement, May 15, 11:04 AM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-151700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1103 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 236 IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON...

AT 11 AM CDT RADAR SHOWED ONLY A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS IN NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS 40 MILES WEST OF CONCORDIA IN THE GLEN ELDER/LAKE WACONDA
AREA.

IN CENTRAL KANSAS THUNDERSTORMS WERE ON THE INCREASE 30 MILES EAST OF
SALINA OR 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ABILENE.  THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO
LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HUTCHINSON.  THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
PETERSEN
Special weather statement, May 15, 11:58 AM CDT, 40 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-151800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1156 AM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 236 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF
CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS EAST OF A LINE FROM ANTHONY TO
HUTCHINSON TO BELOIT AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BELOIT TO CONCORDIA
TO LEAVENWORTH.  IN ADDITIONA A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THIS
AFTERNOON FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT MIDDAY RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
SALINA TO 30  MILES SOUTH OF SALINA NEAR MCPHERSON TO 25 MILES SOUTH/
WEST OF HUTCHINSON.  THE LINE OF SHOWERS WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH. MUCH STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN dEASTERN AND SOUTHERN
KANSAS IN A 60 MILE WIDE AREA THAT EXTENED FROM JUST EAST OF TOPEKA
TO WICHITA.

THERE WERE NO SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.
MP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPPottawatomie53 min
May 15, 12:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson58 min
May 15, 1:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBarton, Russell46 min
May 15, 4:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRice34 min
May 15, 4:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMcPherson43 min
May 15, 7:28 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPOsage3 hr
May 15, 7:28 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPLyon119 min
May 15, 7:48 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPDouglas99 min
May 15, 8:05 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPClay, Cloud, Washington4 hr
May 15, 8:05 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPRepublic4 hr
May 15, 8:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPNemaha, Pottawatomie39 min
May 15, 12:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPDouglas, Osage3 hr
May 15, 5:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson34 min
May 15, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson41 min

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.