Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 31, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 1991, 9:02 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Kansas. It was in force for 43 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
- Apr 26, 1991, 9:02 PM CDT (02:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 26, 1991, 9:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 43 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jefferson County, KS
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 9:25 PM CDT | Tornado F2 | Jefferson, 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 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 34 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
- NaN m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 79 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 409 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 485 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 17.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTOP 270202 TORTOP KSC087-270245- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 902 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHEAST KANSAS ...JEFFERSON COUNTY AT 900PM THE TORNADO WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY OR ABOUT 5-7 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOPEKA. PEOPLE IN MERIDAN SHOULD BE IN THEIR BASEMENTS... OUT OF MOBILE HOMES... OR IN A LOW-LYING AREA IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE. AT 901 THE TORNADO WAS 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF KANSAS HIGHWAYS K-4 AND US-24. POWER LINES CONTINUED TO EXPLODE. THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SHAWNEE COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. MAY IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF NO STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
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, Apr 26, 6:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-270030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECT TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 628 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 8 PM CDT. AT 627 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN..GUSTY WINDS.. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL WERE NORTHEAST OF CONCORDIA NEAR WASHINGTON AND NEAR HADDAM EXTENDING NORTHWARD INTO NEBRASKA NORTH OF FAIRBURY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. HIGH WINDS OF 70 TO 80 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE CITY OF LINCOLN AND AREAS SOUTH. THESE WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF A FRONT AND NOT WITH THUNDERSTORMS. OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR HIAWATHA TO COUNCIL GROVE TO JUST NORTH OF WICHITA. MRU
Local storm report, Apr 26, 6:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
633 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991
STORM REPORTS FOR FRIDAY APRIL 26...ALL TIMES CDT
1:35 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 3 MILES SOUTH WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS..OTTAWA
COUNTY
1:43 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN MINNEAPOLIS..OTTAWA COUNTY
1:45 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 2 NORTH AND 3 WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS..OTTAWA
COUNTY
2 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 3 MILES EAST OF DELPHOS..OTTAWA COUNTY.
2:55 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL COVER THE GROUND AT CLYDE..CLOUD COUNTY.
2:59 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT CLIFTON..WASHINGTON COUNTY.
3:14 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT BRANTFORD..WASHINGTON COUNTY.
3:30 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 21/2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WASHINGTON..
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
4:01 PM GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT NARKA..REPUBLIC COUNTY.
4:45 PM 3/4 INCH HAIL WEST OF MOUNDRIDGE..MCPHERSON COUNTY.
4:53 PM 3/4 INCH HAIL ONE MILE SOUTHEAST OF MOUNDRIDGE..MCPHERSON CO.
5:05 PM HIGH WINDS DAMAGED FARM BUILDINGS 13 MILES SOUTH OF RUSSELL
NO THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA..RUSSELL COUNTY.
LSSpecial weather statement, Apr 26, 7:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-270100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 700 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 8 P
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 7:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-270145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 744 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR JACKSON AND SHAWNEE COUNTY UNTIL 815... AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR LYON COUNTY UNTIL 830PM. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS... AND MOST OF EASTERN KANSAS UNTIL 2AM CDT. THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE TO EXTENDED FROM ST. JOSEPH TO ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EMPORIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM CELL WAS ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF EMPORIA... MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN ADMIRE AND MILLER SHOULD BE IN A STRONG STURDY SHELTER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS. MAY
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 7:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
KSZ014-016-270145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 749 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 AROUND 745 PM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS RECEIVED TWO REPORTS FROM EMPORIA OF DEBRIS... IN THE FORM OF ROOF SHINGLES AND CALENDARS... FALLING FROM THE SKY. THIS DEBRIS MAY BE FROM THE TORNADOES THAT OCCURRED EARLIER THIS EVENING FROM THE TORNADOES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS. MAY
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 8:14 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-270215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 814 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991 THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED FOR LYON COUNTY AT 758PM HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: OSAGE SHAWNEE EASTERN WABAUNSEE ATCHISON AND NORTHERN JEFFERSON. THESE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM. THE PRIMARY DANGER IS FROM LARGE DAMAGING HAIL AND HIGH WINDS. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 2AM... HOWEVER... FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL KANSAS. PEOPLE IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO THEIR TORNADO SHELTER. AT 813PM THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF TOPEKA NEAR CARBONDALE... AND ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF TOPEKA... JUST NORTH OF VALLEY FALLS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH-NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. PEOPLE IN TOPEKA, EFFINGHAM, AND MUSCOTAH SHOULD BE IN A STRONG, STURDY SHELTER.Q MAY
The office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 7:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Wabaunsee | 37 min |
| Apr 26, 7:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Cloud, Ottawa | 32 min |
| Apr 26, 7:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay | 69 min |
| Apr 26, 7:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Shawnee | 52 min |
| Apr 26, 7:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon | 59 min |
| Apr 26, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Washington | 34 min |
| Apr 26, 7:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee | 62 min |
| Apr 26, 7:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Atchison, Jefferson | 62 min |
| Apr 26, 8:51 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Jefferson, Shawnee | 24 min |
| Apr 26, 9:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Atchison | 40 min |
| Apr 26, 9:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Wabaunsee | 66 min |
| Apr 26, 9:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Shawnee | 54 min |
| Apr 26, 10:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Atchison, Jefferson | 60 min |
| Apr 26, 10:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Franklin, Osage | 61 min |
| Apr 26, 10:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Shawnee | 27 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.