Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 35, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 13, 1991, 8:10 PM CDT for Dickinson County, Kansas. It was in force for 35 min. 3 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
- May 13, 1991, 8:10 PM CDT (01:10 UTC)
- Expired
- May 13, 1991, 8:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Dickinson County, KS
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 8:15 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Dickinson, KS | |
| May 13, 8:15 PM CDT | Hail 1.5 | Dickinson, KS | |
| May 13, 8:40 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Dickinson, 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, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 132 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
- 1055 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -86 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2070 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 4 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 101 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KCNK 140110 TORCNK KSC041-140145- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 810 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CONCORDIA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN CENTRAL KANSAS ...DICKINSON COUNTY AT 810PM...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SALINA...NEAR HERRINGTON. IT WAS MOVING EAST AT L10 MPH. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. 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. JF
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 13, 5:31 PM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
KSZ013>-016-132315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 522 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 AT 515PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 60 TO 65 MILES WEST OF TOPEKA... ACROSS WESTERN GEARY AND NORTHWEST MORRIS COUNTIES. THESE STORMS HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY AND ARE CAPABLE OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. LOCALIZED FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS IS LIKELY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO TH<E NORTHNORTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH AND WILL MOVE TOWARD JUNCTION CITY AND THE FT RILEY AREA BETWEEN 520 AND 6PM. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 13, 5:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-132300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 542 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 11PM TONIGHT... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THAT PART OF CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS EAST OF A LINE FROM CONCORDIA...TO MCPHERSON. AT 540 PM... A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL WAS LOCATED 30 MILES EASTW OF SALINA OF 10 MILES SOUTH OF ABILENE AND IS SLOWLY MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. OTHER THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. STAY AWARE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN TO RADIO OR T.V. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. JF
Special weather statement, May 13, 6:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
KSZ013>-016-140000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 600 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED UNTIL 11PM FOR A PART OF NORTHEAST KANSAS. THE WATCH AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO OTTAWA. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE OTTAWA...EMPORIA...MANHATTAN...JUNCTION CITY. THE WATCH DOES NOT ...REPEAT...DOES NOT INCLUDE TOPEKA NOR SHAWNEE COUNTY. SHORTLY BEFORE 6PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MANHATTAN ALONG THE GEARY/DICKINSON COUNTY LINE. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE AND HUMID ACROSS ALL OF NORTHEAST KANSAS...THE STORMS COULD FORM RAPIDLY AND BECOME SEVERE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER INFORMATION. + AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 13, 6:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
KSZ013>016-140030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 630 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED UNTIL 11PM FOR A PART OF NORTHEAST KANSAS. THE WATCH AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO OTTAWA. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE OTTAWA...EMPORIA...MANHATTAN...JUNCTION CITY. THE WATCH DOES NOT ...REPEAT...DOES NOT INCLUDE TOPEKA NOR SHAWNEE COUNTY. AT 630PM...A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF MANHATTAN IN EASTERN GEARY COUNTY. THE STORM WAS CAPABLE OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING AS IT MOVED NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE MANHATTAN AREA SHORTLY AFTER 7PM. OTHER STORMS ARE LIKELY OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS EVENING AS THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS VERY HUMID AND UNSTABLE. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER INFORMATION. AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 13, 7:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
KSZ013>016-140100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 702 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED UNTIL 11PM FOR A PART OF NORTHEAST KANSAS. THE WATCH AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO OTTAWA. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE OTTAWA...EMPORIA...MANHATTAN...JUNCTION CITY. THE WATCH DOES NOT ...REPEAT...DOES NOT INCLUDE TOPEKA NOR SHAWNEE COUNTY. AT 7PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN JUNCTION CITY AND SALINA MOVING TO THE NORTH AT ABOUT 10 MPH. HOWEVER OVER THE REST OF NORTHEAST KANSAS...ONLY A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS WERE INDICATED. STORMS COULD FORM AND BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS EVVENING. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. AKULOW
Special weather statement, May 13, 7:32 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
KSZ013>016-140130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 733 PM CDT MON MAY 13 1991 AT 730PM VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED INTO THE WESTERN PARTS OF GEARY AND MORRIS COUNTIES...ABOUT 65 MILES WEST OF TOPEKA. THE STORMS WERE JUST SOUTH OF JUNCTION CITY AND WEST OF WHITE CITY. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL THAT WILL CAUSE TEMPORARY FLOODING...SMALL HAIL AND LOTS OF DEADLY LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE DEVELOPING EAST SOUTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN GEARY AND MORRIS COUNTIES. PEOPLE IN GEARY AND MORRIES COUNTIES SHOULD BE ALERT TO THESE STORMS AND SEEK INDOOR SHELTER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR A GOOD PART OF NORTHEAST KANSAS...MAINLY SOUTH OF LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO OTTAWA...UNTIL 11PM. AKULOW
The office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 56 min |
| May 13, 7:32 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 28 min |
| May 13, 7:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Morris | 57 min |
| May 13, 8:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 45 min |
| May 13, 8:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Morris | 33 min |
| May 13, 8:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Morris | 46 min |
| May 13, 11:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Osage | 35 min |
| May 14, 12:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Ellsworth | 36 min |
| May 14, 3:22 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Ellsworth, Saline | 6 hr |
| May 14, 3:47 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 5 hr |
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.