Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 43, NWS Wichita, KS

May 26, 1991Butler County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at May 26, 1991, 5:07 PM CDT for Butler County, Kansas. It was in force for 53 min. 1 report 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
May 26, 1991, 5:07 PM CDT (22:07 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 1991, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Butler County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 26, 5:25 PM CDTHail 2.5Butler, 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

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 171 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 1991-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1991-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 123 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1038 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
237 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 KICT 262208
TORICT
KSC015-262300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
507 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...BUTLER COUNTY
 
AT 500 PM CDT...A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR
AUGUSTA...25 MILES EAST OF WICHITA. THE STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT
20 MPH. HAVERHILL...EL DORADO...AND EL DORADO LAKE ARE IN THE PATH OF
THIS STORM...TAKE COVER 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.
 
HEDGES

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 26, 1:32 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-261900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
132 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 125 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST
KANSAS. THOSE STORMS MOST LIKELY PRODUCING GUSTY WIND...BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING WERE 55 MILES NORTHEAST OF WICHITA...NEAR
EUREKA...AND 65 MILES EAST OF WICHITA OR JUST SOUTH OF SEVERY.

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN EUREKA REPORTED ONLY PEA SIZE HAIL AS THE
STORM PASSED THROUGH THE EUREKA AREA.

CAMPERS AND BOATERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS STORMS AND BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER ATPPROACHES.

STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH.
WILSON
Special weather statement, May 26, 1:48 PM CDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-262000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
148 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

THUNDERSTORMS PERSISTED OVER A SMALL PART OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...JUST
TO THE WEST OF CHANUTE. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME
HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS AS THEY
CONTINUED MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH.

CAMPERS AND BOATERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS STORMS AND BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 393 IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE
PART OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 6 PM THIS SUNDAY EVENING...

WILSON
Special weather statement, May 26, 2:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-262100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
225 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 220 PM CDT...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 20
MILES EAST OF TOPEKA...TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHANUTE.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHANUTE.  THIS STORM IS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL.  THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH
...AND WILL PASS JUST SOUTH OF CHANUTE NEAR EARLETON WITHIN THE NEXT 30
MINUTES.

CAMPERS AND BOATERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS STORMS AND BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.  STAY
TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.
HEDGES
Special weather statement, May 26, 2:28 PM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-262100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
225 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 220 PM CDT...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 20
MILES EAST OF TOPEKA...TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHANUTE.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHANUTE.  THIS STORM IS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL.  THIS STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH
...AND WILL PASS JUST SOUTH OF CHANUTE NEAR EARLETON WITHIN THE NEXT 30
MINUTES.

CAMPERS AND BOATERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE DANGEROUS STORMS AND BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.  STAY
TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 393 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT
FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

HEDGES
Special weather statement, May 26, 3:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-262230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
335 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 325 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS HAD
DECREASED RAPIDLY.  ONLY A WEAK THUNDERSTORM REMAINED...20 MILES
WEST OF PITTSBURG.

THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH.

THE AIRMASS OVER SOUTHERN KANSAS REMAINS VERY UNSTABLE AND REDEVELOPMENT
OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE WEATHER SITUATION.

HEDGES
Special weather statement, May 26, 4:05 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-262200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
400 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 11 PM...

VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS EXIST OVER SOUTHERN KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON.
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AROUND WICHITA..AND
SHOULD BECOME MUCH MORE NUMEROUS OVER THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS.

PERSONS INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO
THE WEATHER SITUATION...AS SEVERE WEATHER COULD DEVELOP RAPIDLY.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STAIONS...AND NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

HEDGES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 8:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTReno47 min
May 26, 10:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey, Marion65 min
May 26, 4:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler, Sedgwick50 min
May 26, 4:39 PM CDTTornado WarningICTButler, Sedgwick38 min
May 26, 5:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler55 min
May 26, 6:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase53 min
May 26, 6:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler, Marion67 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.