Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Topeka, KS

May 17, 1995Lyon County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 17, 1995, 4:41 AM CDT for Lyon County, Kansas. It was in force for 37 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 17, 1995, 4:41 AM CDT (09:41 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 1995, 5:18 AM CDT
In force: 37 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Whole counties

County Lyon County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 75 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: 426 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -256 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1533 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -5 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 170941
TORTOP
KSC111-171030-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
441 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHERN LYON COUNTY
 
AT 440 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 15 MILES
NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA...NEAR DUNLAP.
 
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST
AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
 
THIS STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH BUSHONG...ALLEN AND ADMIRE BY 515 AM.
 
TWO INCH HAIL AND 65 MILE AN HOUR WIND GUSTS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
 
THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE.
OTHERWISE... GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A
STURDIER BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
 
WALAWENDER

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

Local storm report, May 17, 12:24 AM CDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1223 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995

TIME****   LOCATION OF EVENT*******  ST   TYPE OF EVENT/DAMAGE******
DATE****   COUNTY INVOLVED*********       FATALITIES AND INJURIES***
                                          REMARKS*******************
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1620       61ST & VALENCIA           KS   60 MPH WIND, TREES DOWN
5/16/95    WAUBAUNSEE

2048       MILEPOST 156 OF TURNPIKE  KS   TRUCK FLIPPED OVER BY
5/16/95    OSAGE                          TORNADO

2120       NORTHWEST CORNER          KS   60 MPH WIND
5/16/95    FRANKLIN
LWS

Local storm report, May 17, 12:43 AM CDT, 3 hours 58 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1243 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995

TIME****   LOCATION OF EVENT*******  ST   TYPE OF EVENT/DAMAGE******
DATE****   COUNTY INVOLVED*********       FATALITIES AND INJURIES***
                                          REMARKS*******************
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2253       CENTROPOLIS TO OTTAWA     KS   CREEK OUT OF BANKS WITH
5/16/95    FRANKLIN                       AGRICULTURAL FLOODING

2330       LYNDON                    KS   FUNNEL CLOUD
5/16/95    OSAGE

2340       SW OF LYNDON              KS   0.75 HAIL
5/16/95    OSAGE

0000       OTTAWA                    KS   2.75 HAIL
5/17/95    FRANKLIN
LWS

Local storm report, May 17, 3:57 AM CDT, 44 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
357 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995

TIME****   LOCATION OF EVENT*******  ST   TYPE OF EVENT/DAMAGE******
DATE****   COUNTY INVOLVED*********       FATALITIES AND INJURIES***
                                          REMARKS*******************
--------------------------------------------------------------------
0124       JUNCTION CITY             KS   GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
5/17/95    GEARY

0230       FORT RILEY                KS   3.OO HAIL
5/17/95    GEARY

0321       SILVER LAKE               KS   1.75 HAIL, VISIBILITY NEAR
5/17/95    SHAWNEE                        ZERO IN HEAVY RAIN

0332       NWS OFFICE TOPEKA         KS   59 MPH WIND
5/17/95    SHAWNEE
LWS

Local storm report, May 17, 4:15 AM CDT, 26 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED HEADING TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
415 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995

TIME****   LOCATION OF EVENT*******  ST   TYPE OF EVENT/DAMAGE******
DATE****   COUNTY INVOLVED*********       FATALITIES AND INJURIES***
                                          REMARKS*******************
--------------------------------------------------------------------
0125       WELLSVILLE                KS   WIND DAMAGE
5/17/95    dFRANKLIN

0125       CENTROPOLIS               KS   POSSIBLE TORNADO
5/17/95    FRANKLIN

0134       BENNINGTON                KS   0.75 HAIL
5/17/95    OTTAWA

0207       10NE ABILENE              KS   2.00 HAIL
5/17/95    DICKINSON
LWS

Local storm report, May 17, 4:23 AM CDT, 18 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
424 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995

TIME****   LOCATION OF EVENT*******  ST   TYPE OF EVENT/DAMAGE******
DATE****   COUNTY INVOLVED*********       FATALITIES AND INJURIES***
                                          REMARKS*******************
--------------------------------------------------------------------
0214       DETROIT                   KS   1.75 HAIL, TREES DOWN
5/17/95    DICKINSON

0226       MINNEAPOLIS               KS   0.75 HAIL
5/17/95    OTTAWA

0226       ADA                       KS   1.75 HAIL
5/17/95    OTTAWA

0245       LONGFORD                  KS   1.75 HAIL
5/17/95    CLAY
LWS

Local storm report, May 17, 4:32 AM CDT, 9 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
432 AM CDT WED MAY 17 1995

TIME****   LOCATION OF EVENT*******  ST   TYPE OF EVENT/DAMAGE******
DATE****   COUNTY INVOLVED*********       FATALITIES AND INJURIES***
                                          REMARKS*******************
--------------------------------------------------------------------
0315       2N GRANTVILLE             KS   1.00 HAIL
5/17/95    JEFFERSON

0337       3E SILVER LAKE            KS   1.75 HAIL, 72 MPH WIND
5/17/95    SHAWNEE

0412       SILVER LAKE               KS   MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
5/17/95    SHAWNEE                        (ROUGHLY AROUND 0330)

0420       53RD & SHAWNEE HGTS RD    KS   2.00 INCHES RAIN SINCE 0330
5/17/95    SHAWNEE
LWS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 7:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Morris	53 min
May 16, 7:31 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Dickinson	4 hr
May 16, 7:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Lyon, Wabaunsee	33 min
May 16, 8:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary	55 min
May 16, 8:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Osage	26 min
May 16, 8:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Douglas, Osage	46 min
May 16, 9:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	53 min
May 16, 9:10 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary, Morris	4 hr
May 16, 9:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary	40 min
May 16, 9:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Franklin	48 min
May 16, 9:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	43 min
May 16, 9:39 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Douglas, Osage, Shawnee	4 hr
May 16, 9:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Douglas	36 min
May 16, 10:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Lyon, Morris, Wabaunsee	41 min
May 16, 11:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Osage	36 min
May 16, 11:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Douglas, Franklin	32 min
May 17, 1:05 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary	3 hr
May 17, 1:21 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Douglas, Osage, Shawnee	3 hr
May 17, 1:21 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Franklin	3 hr
May 17, 1:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	49 min
May 17, 1:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	44 min
May 17, 1:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	48 min
May 17, 2:05 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Dickinson	25 min
May 17, 2:19 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Geary	41 min
May 17, 2:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay	44 min
May 17, 2:51 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Wabaunsee	39 min
May 17, 2:54 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Wabaunsee	3 hr
May 17, 3:12 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Shawnee	34 min
May 17, 3:38 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Douglas, Jefferson	37 min
May 17, 3:55 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Morris	35 min
May 17, 3:55 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	30 min
May 17, 3:59 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary	4 hr
May 17, 4:09 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Douglas, Franklin, Osage, Shawnee	4 hr
May 17, 4:20 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Morris	28 min
May 17, 4:52 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Wabaunsee	4 hr
May 17, 5:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Osage	36 min
May 17, 5:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Coffey	25 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1995 Every tornado warning in 1995 Tornadoes in 1995

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.