Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Topeka, KS

May 12, 1993Saline County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this flash flood warning at May 12, 1993, 7:42 PM CDT for Saline County, Kansas. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 1993, 7:42 PM CDT (00:42 UTC)
Expired
May 12, 1993, 11:45 PM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Saline County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 1993-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1365 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 1993-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 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
1365 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
965 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
255 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
4.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 130044
FFWCNK
KSC169-130445-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
ISSUED BY TOPEKA KS
742 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHEASTERN SALINE COUNTY
 
THE SMOKY HILL RIVER AT NEW CAMBRIA HAS REACHED 30.57 FEET AND IS
BEGINNING TO FLOOD THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN. THE RIVER IS NEAR CREST AT
THIS TIME AND SHOULD BEGIN TO FALL AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE SMOKY HILL RIVER
ALSO IS FLOODING THE SOLOMON ROAD...JUST SOUTH OF SOLOMON. THE ROAD IS
CLOSED BY WATER AT THIS TIME.
 
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.
 
WAVRIN

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, 1:42 PM CDT, 6 hours before
KSZ013-014-015-016-122100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT         ...CORRECTED WORDING...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
143 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED NORTH OF THE KANSAS RIVER...

AT 125 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE AROUND 10 MILES NORTH OF MANHATTAN
NEAR TUTTLE CREEK LAKE.  SHOWERS WERE OVER MUCH OF NORTHEAST KANSAS AND
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED NORTH OF THE KANSAS RIVER.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTH^WEST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR.  AND
THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE JUNCTION CITY AND FORT RILEY
AREA BY 2 PM.

HEAVY RAIN...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND MAYBE EVEN SOME HAIL WILL
ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS.

MG
Special weather statement, May 12, 2:31 PM CDT, 5 hours 11 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-122030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
227 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS WEAKEN ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 220 PM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONFINED MAINLY SOUTH
OF THE KANSAS RIVER BUT ONE THUNDERSTORM WAS 10 MILES NORTHEAST
OF MANHATTAN.

THE RAIN CONTINUES TO MOVE TO THE SOUTHWEST AT 30 MPH AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE IN THE MANHATTAN AND FORT RILEY AREA THROUGH 3 PM.
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE IN THE BURLINGTON
TO OTTAWA AND GARNETT AREA THROUGH 330 PM.

CLEARING SKIES WILL MOVE INTO THE COUNTIES BORDER NEBRASKA BY 330 PM.

LAPLANTE
Local storm report, May 12, 2:35 PM CDT, 5 hours 7 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...ITEMS OMITTED IN PREVIOUS REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
235 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993

ADDITIONAL STORM REPORTS FOR FRIDAY  MAY 7 1993...ALL TIMES CDT

4:50PM...3/4 INCH HAIL 7S & 9W OF RUSSELL.................RUSSELL COUNTY
6:31PM...TORNADO JUST W OF SYLVAN GROVE...................LINCOLN COUNTY

.END
Local storm report, May 12, 2:35 PM CDT, 5 hours 7 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT...ITEMS OMITTED IN PREVIOUS REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
235 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993

ADDITIONAL STORM REPORTS FOR FRIDAY  MAY 7 1993...ALL TIMES CDT

4:50PM...3/4 INCH HAIL 7S & 9W OF RUSSELL.................RUSSELL COUNTY
6:31PM...TORNADO JUST W OF SYLVAN GROVE...................LINCOLN COUNTY

.END
Special weather statement, May 12, 4:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-122210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
412 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993

...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 405 PM RADAR INDICATED A SCATTERED AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLTO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF SALINA WEST TO 20 MILES NORTH
OF HAYS. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 10 MLES SOUTHWEST OF SALINA...20 MILES WEST OF SALINA NEAR WESTFALL AND 40 MILES EAST OF HAYS NEAR SYLVAN
GROVE. BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...SOME GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECED WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS AS ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION MOVES TO THE
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 25 MPH.

THE GROUND OVER CENTRAL KANSAS REMAINS SATURATED AND ONLY BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL
COULD LEAD TO QUICK RUNOFF AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OR WALK ACROSS WATER OVER THE ROAD...DIPS OR LOW
SPOTS.  SW
Special weather statement, May 12, 4:12 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-122210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
412 PM CDT WED MAY 12 1993

...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 405 PM RADAR INDICATED A SCATTERED AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLTO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF SALINA WEST TO 20 MILES NORTH
OF HAYS. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 10 MLES SOUTHWEST OF SALINA...20 MILES WEST OF SALINA NEAR WESTFALL AND 40 MILES EAST OF HAYS NEAR SYLVAN
GROVE. BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...SOME GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECED WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS AS ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION MOVES TO THE
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 25 MPH.

THE GROUND OVER CENTRAL KANSAS REMAINS SATURATED AND ONLY BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL
COULD LEAD TO QUICK RUNOFF AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OR WALK ACROSS WATER OVER THE ROAD...DIPS OR LOW
SPOTS.  SW

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 1993Every flash flood warning in 1993

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.