Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Topeka, KS

May 12, 1991Lincoln County, Ottawa County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this flash flood warning at May 12, 1991, 10:47 PM CDT for Lincoln County, Ottawa County, Kansas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 1991, 10:47 PM CDT (03:47 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 1991, 1:28 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Lincoln County, KS, Ottawa County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 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 00:00Z on 1991-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1589 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 00:00Z on 1991-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1589 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-165 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1448 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 130348
FFWCNK
KSC105-143-130945-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1047 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CONCORDIA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...WESTERN OTTAWA COUNTY
 
AT 1045PM...RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
RAIN 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF SALINA...NEAR BARNARD. OVER 2 INCHES HAVE
FALLEN IN THE BARNARD AREA AND HEAVY RAIN SHOULD CONTINUE NEAR BARNARD
UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING ALONG SALT
CREEK...INTO EASTERN LINCOLN AND WESTERN OTTOWA COUNTIES.
 
 
 
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.
 
A FLASHB FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT.  STREAMS,
RIVERS, AND CREEKS CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAIN. CAMPERS
SHOULD AVOID CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING
RAINS.
 
FREDERICK

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 12, 5:25 PM CDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before
KSZ014-015-016-122330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
525 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991

A CLUSTER OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ABOUT 55 TO 60 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF TOPEKA...ACROSS MOST OF ANDERSON COUNTY...AFFECTING
THE CITIES OF GARNETT AND WESTPHALIA.

THE STORMS WERE SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT AND ARE LIKELY PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAINS THAT MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY FLOODING OF LOW LYING
AND POOR DRAINAGE AREA...SMALL HAIL AND D8ANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

PEOPLE IN ANDERSON COUNTY AND IN THE COMMUNITIES OF GARNETT...
AND WESTPHALIA SHOULD MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 12, 5:50 PM CDT, 4 hours 57 minutes before
KSZ014-015-016-122345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
550 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991

AN AREA OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ABOUT 55 TO 65 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF TOPEKA...ACROSS MOST OF ANDERSON COUNTY...AFFECTING
THE CITIES OF COLONY...GARNETT AND WESTPHALIA. THE STORMS ALSO
EXTENDED NORTH TOWARD RICHMOND IN SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY.

THE STORMS WERE SHOWING A SLOW NORTHEAST MOVEMENT.

ABOUT ONE INCH OF RAIN WAS REPORTED WEST OF GARNETT BETWEEN 5 AND
530PM. IN ADDITION PEA SIZE HAIL FELL JUST WEST OF GARNETT AND
NEAR COLONY...IN SOUTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY...AROUND 530PM.

VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...PROBABLY PRODUCING FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS
...WILL CONTINUE FROM THgESE THUNDERSTORMS. PEOPLE ACROSS ANDERSON
COUNTY AND SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY OR THOSE TRAVEL ACROSS THESE
COUNTIES SHOULD BE ALERT TO WATER OVER ROADWAYS.
+
AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 12, 6:20 PM CDT, 4 hours 27 minutes before
KSZ014-015-016-130015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
620 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991

AT 615PM THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 55 TO 65 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOPEKA...
ACROSS MOST OF ANDERSON COUNTY...WERE BEGINNING TO WEAKEN.
HOWEVER THE STORMS WERE STILL CAPABLE OF DROPPING VERY HEAVY RAIN
WHICH COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY OVER ROADS.

RAINS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE OVER ANDERSON COUNTY..INCLUDING THE GARNETT
...COLONY...GREELEY AND KINCAID AREAS UNTIL ABOUT 7PM. PERSONS TRAVELING
ACROSS ANDERSON COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT TO WATER OVER ROADS AND
HIGHWAYS. DRAINAGE DITCHES AND CREEKS WILL ALSO BE RUNNING AT OR ABOVE
BANKFULL.

AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 12, 7:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-130245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
711 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991

...THUNDESTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER A SMALL PART OF NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 7PM...RADAR SHOWED A 10 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED
FROM 50 MILES WEST OF CONCORDIA...NEAR DOWNS TO 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF
CONCORDIA NEAR BURR OAK. THESE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THEY WERE MOVING NORTH AT ABOUT 20 MPH.

ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS TONIGHT...EXPECT PARTLY CLOUDY
SKIES WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR FURTHER THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.
IT WILL CONTINUE WARM AND MUGGY...WITH LATE EVENING TEMPERATURES IN THE
70S AND OVERNIGHT LOWS NEAR 60. WINDS WILL REMAIN SOUTHERLY WINDS AT
10 TO 20 MPH.

FREDERICK
Special weather statement, May 12, 9:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-130315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
915 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991

AT 910 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A 30 MILE WIDE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM
25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAYS NEAR GALATIA TO JUST EAST OF RUSSELL TO
BELOIT TO BELLEVILLE TO WEST OF FAIRBURY NEBRASKA.  THESE STORMS HAVE
PRODUCED BRIEF HEAVY RAINS..PEA SIZE HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

THE AREA OF STORMS WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.d

LLS
Special weather statement, May 12, 9:51 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-130345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
950 PM CDT SUN MAY 12 1991

AT 945 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A 30 MILE WIDE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM
35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAYS...TO NEAR BELOIT...TO 20 MILES WEST OF
LINCOLN NEBRASKA. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.
THEY HAVE SHOWED A DECREASE IN INTENSITY OVER THE PAST HOUR AND SHOULD
CONTINUE TO DIMINISH AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS TONIGHT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
SHOULD BE ENDING BY 2AM...WITH SKIES BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS WILL
FALL TO NEAR 60 WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 5 TO 15 MPH.

JF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJewell37 min
May 13, 5:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson61 min
May 13, 5:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson, Saline62 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 1991Every flash flood warning 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.