Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Mar 11, 1990, 5:09 PM CST for Rice County, Kansas. It was in force for 51 min. 2 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
- Mar 11, 1990, 5:09 PM CST (23:09 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 11, 1990, 6:00 PM CST
- In force
- 51 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Rice 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 5:15 PM CST | Tornado F1 | Rice, KS | |
| Mar 11, 5:42 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Rice, 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
Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 162 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1006 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 114 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 121 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KCNK 112309
TORCNK
KSC159-120000-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
509 PM CST SUN MAR 11 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
RICE
AT 505 PM CST A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND BY THE
PUBLIC ALONG THE RENO...STAFFORD COUNTY LINE WEST OF HUTCHINSON
MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST 45 MPH.
PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD FIND SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
BASEMENTS OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION. SMALL ROOMS NEAR THE
CENTER OF HOMES AND BUILDINGS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR ARE ALSO FAIRLY
SAFE. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES OFFER NO SHELTER...SO LEAVE THEM.
EVEN A DITCH OR LOW PLACE IS SAFER THAN A MOBILE HOME OR CAR.
THIS TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND AND CAUSING DAMAGE. ALL PEOPLE
NEAR THIS DANGEROUS STORM SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. FIND
SHELTER BELOWQ GROUND LEVEL...IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
ADAMSWhat 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, Mar 11, 4:09 PM CST, 1 hour before
KSZ007-008-010-011-112330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 405 PM CST SUN MAR 11 1990 AT 405 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING RAPIDLY SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR HAYS TO NEAR GREAT BEND TO 40 MILES SOUTH OF GREAT BEND. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO AROUND 50 MPH AND BRIEF HARD RAINS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH BARTON AND RUSSEL COUNTIES OF CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE STORMS MAY WELL BECOME STRONGER SO PERSONS IN CENTRAL KANSAS BE ALERT FOR HIGH WINDS...HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH COVERS ALL OF WESTERN KANSAS AND THE EAST END OF THIS WATCH IS ONLY A FEW MILES WEST OF BARTON AND RUSSELL COUNTIES. ADAMS
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 4:43 PM CST, 26 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-120000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 440 PM CST SUN-MAR 11 1990 A TORNADO WATCH COVERS CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING. AT 440 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ON A LINE FROM NEAR HAYS TO 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF GREAT BEND TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF GREAT BEND. MOVMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING IN STRENGTH AND MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. BY 530 PM THESE STORMS SHOULD BE NEAR A LINE FROM 50 MILES WEST OF CONCORDIA...NEAR OSBORNE TO 40 MILES WEST OF SALINA...NEAR ELLSWORTH TO JUST SOUTHWEST OF HUTCHINSON. PERSONS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS BE ALERT INTO THE EVENING HOURS. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS. ADAMS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 5:47 PM CST | Tornado Warning | TOP | Ellsworth | 43 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.