Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 28, NWS Dodge City, KS
NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at May 23, 1991, 5:17 PM CDT for Morton County, Kansas. It was in force for 43 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 23, 1991, 5:17 PM CDT (22:17 UTC)
- Expired
- May 23, 1991, 6:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 43 min
- Issued by
- NWS Dodge City, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Morton County, KS
The nearest sounding before it
Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 180 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
- 817 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -134 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1045 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 9 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 109 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 178 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 KDDC 232216 TORDDC KSC129-232300- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 515 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS ...SOUTHERN MORTON COUNTY AT 515 PM CDT (415 PM MDT) WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF ELKHART OR ABOUT 55 MILES WEST OF LIBERAL. THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH AND WILL BE IN ELKART AND WILBURTON AREAS BY 525 PM CDT (425 PM MDT). TAKE ACTION NOW !!! THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE... GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDIER BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. MVT
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, May 23, 11:18 AM CDT, 5 hours 59 minutes before
KSZ006-009-231715- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 1116 AM CDT THU MAY 23 1991 ...HEAVY RAINFALL IS DRENCHING PARTS OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS... A SLOW MOVING LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY EAST OF DODGE CITY. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS IN A BAND EXTENDING FROM ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH OF GREAT BEND SOUTHWARD THRU EASTERN KIOWA AND WESTERN PRATT COUNTIES...TO NORTH OF COLDWATER OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PRATT. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT RAINS OF BETWEEN TWO AND TWO AND A HALF INCHES MAY HAVE FALLEN IN PARTS OF THE AFFECTED AREA...WITH MORE RAIN STILL TO COME...AS THE STORMS REMAIN ESSENTIALLY STATIONARY. IF RAINS CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON...FLOODING WILL BE LIKELY IN LOW LYING AREAS. IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA BETWEEN GREENSBURG AND PRATT...YOU SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME LOCAL FLOODING IN THE AREAS OF HEAVIER RAINFALL...AND_ KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION. LETRO
Special weather statement, May 23, 12:18 PM CDT, 4 hours 59 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-231815- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 1215 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991 ...HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...ALONG WITH THUNDERSTORMS.. AT 1215 PM CDT...A LINE OF VERY SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHEAST TO 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PRATT. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT UP TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN MAY HAVE FALLEN IN THE AREA AROUND 20 MILES WEST OF PRATT...NEAR HAVILAND AND WELLSFORD. THE STORMS WERE MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST. THE RAIN HAS DECREASED IN INTENSITY SINCE 1100 AM...WITH ONLY A FEW SPOTS OF HEAVY RAIN LEFT IN THE LINE. NO FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED YET...BUT SOME PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS IS LIKELY...AND MOTORISTS SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CAUTION IN WATER COVERED AREAS. MEANWHILE...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAS DEVELOPED SOUTH OF ASHLAND...ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH OF DODGE CITY. THE STORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST AND SHOULD PASS BETWEEN ASHLAND AND PROTECTION BEFORE 115 PM. MORE HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND MAYBE SOME SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE IN THAT AREA. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS DURING THE RE:ST OF THE AFTERNOON. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATER STATEMENTS AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SPOTTER GROUPS ARE ADVISED THAT THEIR ASSISTANCE MAY BE NEEDED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LETRO
Special weather statement, May 23, 1:29 PM CDT, 3 hours 48 minutes before
KSZ006-009-231930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 127 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991 ...THE HEAVY RAINS HAVE SHIFTED SOUTHWARD IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS... AT 125 PM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL HAD DIMINISHED IN THE PRATT AND GREENSBURAREA...BUT HAD INCREASED IN THE AREA SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION... ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY. A REPORT FROM NEAR SITKA IN SOUTHEAST CLARK COUNTY INDICATED 1.76 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND STILL RAINING HARD. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES HAS PROBABLY OCCURRED IN SOME AREAS SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION. THE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING THE RAIN WERE REMAINING ESSENTIALLY STATIONARY...AND WITH FURTHER RAINFALL SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND ROADWAYS IS LIKELY. MOTORISTS ON ROUTES 180 AND 183 IN SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST COMANCHE COUNTY SHOULD USE CAUTION THIS AFTERNOON AS ROADWAYS MAY BE FLOODED IN SPOTS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE ON THE INCREASE ELSEWHERE IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...AND WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. LETRO
Special weather statement, May 23, 2:44 PM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
KSZ006-009-232045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 237 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991 ....THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY IN SOUTHEASTERN CLARK COUNTY.... AT 235 PM...AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO LINGER IN SOUTHEAST CLARK AND COMANCHE COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE LOCATED 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY AND SHOWED LITTLE OR NO MOVEMENT. ANOTHER STRONG STORM HAS DEVELOPED JUST NORTHEAST OF ASHLAND OR 30 MILES SOUTH OF DODGE CITY...AND ALSO HAS SHOWN LITTLE OR NO MOVEMENT. THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO DUMP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN SOUTHEAST CLARK COUNTY. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE PAST FEW HOURS SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION. THE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING ALL THE RAIN ARE REMAINING ESSENTIALLY STATIONARY AND WITH FURTHER RAINFALL...SOME ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS MAY BE FLOODED IN SPOTS. PERSONS OUTDOORS...OR MOTORISTS TRAVELING IN CLARK AND COMANCHE COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNE TO THEIR LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIONS...OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. MVT
Special weather statement, May 23, 2:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
KSZ006-009-232045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT....CORRECTION TO 4TH LINE.... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 248 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991 ....THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY IN SOUTHEASTERN CLARK COUNTY.... AT 235 PM...AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO LINGER IN SOUTHEAST CLARK AND WESTERN COMANCHE COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE LOCATED 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY AND SHOWED LITTLE OR NO MOVEMENT. ANOTHER STRONG STORM HAS DEVELOPED JUST NORTHWEST OF ASHLAND OR 30 MILES SOUTH OF DODGE CITY...AND ALSO HAS SHOWN LITTLE OR NO MOVEMENT. THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO DUMP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN SOUTHEAST CLARK COUNTY. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE PAST FEW HOURS SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION. THE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING ALL THE RAIN ARE REMAINING ESSENTIALLY STATIONARY AND WITH FURTHER RAINFALL...SOME ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS MAY BE FLOODED IN SPOTS. PERSONS OUTDOORS...OR MOTORISTS TRAVELING IN CLARK AND COMANCHE COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNE TO THEIR LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIONS...OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. MVT
The office that day
Everything else NWS Dodge City, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Hamilton | 61 min |
| May 23, 6:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DDC | Hamilton | 54 min |
| May 23, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DDC | Morton | 40 min |
| May 23, 6:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DDC | Kearny | 42 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991
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.