Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 68, NWS Topeka, KS

September 21, 1993Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Sep 21, 1993, 4:16 PM CDT for Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas. It was in force for 29 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: Sep 21, 1993, 4:16 PM CDT (21:16 UTC)
Expired: Sep 21, 1993, 4:45 PM CDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Whole counties

Counties Douglas County, KS, Jefferson County, KS

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Sep 21, 4:20 PM CDT	Tornado F0	Lawrence, KS	A short lived tornado hit about 0.5 mile south of the Lawrence Airport causing only minor damage to some outbuildings.

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, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 27 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1292 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 145 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 KTOP 212116
TORTOP
KSC045-087-212145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
416 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHERN DOUGLAS COUNTY
 
IN NORTHEAST KANSAS
 
   ...SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY
 
AT 410PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AND SPOTTERS CONFIRMED A ROTATING
WALL CLOUD JUST TO THE NORTH OF LAWRENCE. THE WALL CLOUD SHOWED VERY
LITTLE MOVEMENT.
RESIDENTS IN LAWRENCE SHOULD BE IN A SAFE SHELTER. A PILOT AT
415PM CDT A PILOT REPORTED A TORNADO JUST NORTHWEST OF LAWRENCE.
 
SEEK SHELTER NOW IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
 
GET TO A BASEMENT IF ONE IS AVAILABLE.  IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR
APARTMENT... SEEK SHELTER IN THE INNERMOST PORTION OF THE
BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR BODY
FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS...BLANKETS...OR PILLOWS.
 
 
 
&

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, Sep 21, 12:40 PM CDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before

KSZ007-008-010-011-212300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1240 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL KANSAS

BARTON        RICE       MCPHERSON     RUSSELL
ELLSWORTH     SALINE     DICKINSON     LINCOLN

AND IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS

SMITH     JEWELL     REPUBLIC    WASHINGTON
OSBORNE   MITCHELL   CLOUD       CLAY
OTTAWA

SYNOPSIS:  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS MOVED OUT OF NORTHCENTRAL
KANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...LEAVING BEHIND MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES OVER
THE REGION.  MOISTURE CONTINUES TO ADVECT NORTHWARD OVER THE REGION.
A STABLE ATMOSPHERE HAS SETTLED IN BEHIND THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
WHICH WILL SUPRESS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.
HOWEVER...WITH GOOD HEATING AT THE SURFACE...THE APPROACH OF
THE DRYLINE AND A GOOD MOIST LOW LEVEL FLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REDEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUE THIS EVENING.

SOME OF THE THESE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON
COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION COULD BE NEEDED AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES.

NOLES

Special weather statement, Sep 21, 12:41 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before

KSZ007-008-010-011-212300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1240 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL KANSAS

BARTON        RICE       MCPHERSON     RUSSELL
ELLSWORTH     SALINE     DICKINSON     LINCOLN

AND IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS

SMITH     JEWELL     REPUBLIC    WASHINGTON
OSBORNE   MITCHELL   CLOUD       CLAY
OTTAWA

SYNOPSIS:  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS MOVED OUT OF NORTHCENTRAL
KANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...LEAVING BEHIND MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES OVER
THE REGION.  MOISTURE CONTINUES TO ADVECT NORTHWARD OVER THE REGION.
A STABLE ATMOSPHERE HAS SETTLED IN BEHIND THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
WHICH WILL SUPRESS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.
HOWEVER...WITH GOOD HEATING AT THE SURFACE...THE APPROACH OF
THE DRYLINE AND A GOOD MOIST LOW LEVEL FLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REDEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUE THIS EVENING.

SOME OF THE THESE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON
COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION COULD BE NEEDED AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES.

NOLES

Local storm report, Sep 21, 3:51 PM CDT, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
352 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993

PRELIMINARY SEVERE STORM REPORTS FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON SEPTEMBER 21 1993

COUNTY          LOCATION           TIME-CDT      REPORT

JACKSON         8 N OF DELIA        1:45PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL

JACKSON         8 N OF DELIA        1:50PM    TORNADO ON GROUND
                                              MOVING EAST

POTTAWATOMIE    EAST OF ST CLAIR    1:55PM    TORNADO DOWN AND BACK UP

JACKSON         WESTERN PART        2:03PM    GOLFBALL HAIL

JACKSON         NORTH OF HOYT       2:16PM    GOLFBALL HAIL AND FUNNEL
                                              CLOUD
,
JEFFERSON       MERIDEN             2:40PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL

JACKSON         SOLDIER TO DELIA    2:45PM    FLOODING ON SOLDIER CREEK

JACKSON         DELIA               1:25PM    1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL

JACKSON         EMMETT              1:25PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND
                                              WINDS TO 65 MPH

JACKSON         2 N OF HOYT         2:15PM    PING PONG SIZE HAIL

JACKSON         AT JACKSON,         2:53PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
JEFFERSON       JEFFERSON AND
SHAWNEE    $     SHAWNEE COUNTY
                JUNCTION

JEFFERSON       MERIDEN             2:57PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL

JEFFERSON       LAKESIDE VILLAGE    3:00PM    1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
                AT LAKE PERRY

LWS

Special weather statement, Sep 21, 3:51 PM CDT, 25 minutes before

KSZ007-008-010-011-212145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
351 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL KANSAS
EXCEPT FOR RUSSELL...BARTON...RICE AND MCPHERSON COUNTY...AND FOR ALL OF
NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS EXCEPT FOR OSBORNE AND SMITH COUNTIES...

AT 350 PM CDT RADAR DID NOT INDICATE ANY THUNDERSTORMS OVER CCNTRAL OR
NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS...HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE WATCH AREA WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
SOME OF THE STORMS BECOMING SEVERE.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCE FOR FURTHER WEATHER
INFORMATION AND STATEMENTS ON THIS POTENTIALLY VOLITILE SITUATION FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. BE PREPARED RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

SW

Local storm report, Sep 21, 3:52 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
352 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993

PRELIMINARY SEVERE STORM REPORTS FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON SEPTEMBER 21 1993

COUNTY          LOCATION           TIME-CDT      REPORT

JACKSON         8 N OF DELIA        1:45PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL

JACKSON         8 N OF DELIA        1:50PM    TORNADO ON GROUND
                                              MOVING EAST

POTTAWATOMIE    EAST OF ST CLAIR    1:55PM    TORNADO DOWN AND BACK UP

JACKSON         WESTERN PART        2:03PM    GOLFBALL HAIL

JACKSON         NORTH OF HOYT       2:16PM    GOLFBALL HAIL AND FUNNEL
                                              CLOUD
,
JEFFERSON       MERIDEN             2:40PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL

JACKSON         SOLDIER TO DELIA    2:45PM    FLOODING ON SOLDIER CREEK

JACKSON         DELIA               1:25PM    1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL

JACKSON         EMMETT              1:25PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND
                                              WINDS TO 65 MPH

JACKSON         2 N OF HOYT         2:15PM    PING PONG SIZE HAIL

JACKSON         AT JACKSON,         2:53PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
JEFFERSON       JEFFERSON AND
SHAWNEE         SHAWNEE COUNTY
                JUNCTION

JEFFERSON       MERIDEN             2:57PM    GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL

JEFFERSON       LAKESIDE VILLAGE    3:00PM    1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
                AT LAKE PERRY

LWS

Special weather statement, Sep 21, 3:52 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

KSZ007-008-010-011-212145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
351 PM CDT TUE SEP 21 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL KANSAS
EXCEPT FOR RUSSELL...BARTON...RICE AND MCPHERSON COUNTY...AND FOR ALL OF
NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS EXCEPT FOR OSBORNE AND SMITH COUNTIES...

AT 350 PM CDT RADAR DID NOT INDICATE ANY THUNDERSTORMS OVER CCNTRAL OR
NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS...HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE WATCH AREA WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
SOME OF THE STORMS BECOMING SEVERE.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCE FOR FURTHER WEATHER
INFORMATION AND STATEMENTS ON THIS POTENTIALLY( VOLITILE SITUATION FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. BE PREPARED RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

SW

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 21, 10:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud	33 min
Sep 21, 10:40 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Washington	35 min
Sep 21, 11:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Washington	48 min
Sep 21, 11:33 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Riley	42 min
Sep 21, 12:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Pottawatomie	45 min
Sep 21, 12:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Pottawatomie	42 min
Sep 21, 1:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Pottawatomie	20 min
Sep 21, 1:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Jackson	43 min
Sep 21, 1:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Jackson	51 min
Sep 21, 2:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Jefferson, Shawnee	49 min
Sep 21, 2:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Shawnee	38 min
Sep 21, 3:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Douglas, Jefferson	64 min
Sep 21, 4:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Douglas	32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1993 Every tornado warning in 1993 Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.