Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Topeka, KS

June 20, 1998Marshall County, Nemaha County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Jun 20, 1998, 4:55 PM CDT for Marshall County, Nemaha County, Kansas. It was in force for 45 min. 6 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
Jun 20, 1998, 4:55 PM CDT (21:55 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 1998, 5:40 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Marshall County, KS, Nemaha County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 20, 5:24 PM CDTTornado F0Seneca, KS
Jun 20, 5:30 PM CDTThunderstorm WindSeneca, KS
Jun 20, 5:33 PM CDTThunderstorm WindSeneca, KS
Jun 20, 5:40 PM CDTHail 1.25Frankfort, KS
Jun 20, 5:40 PM CDTHail 1.75Axtell, KS
Jun 20, 5:47 PM CDTTornado F0Seneca, 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 20, 3:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 103 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 12:00Z on 1998-06-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2555 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1998-06-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 179 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
2555 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-270 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
997 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
179 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
221 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

276 
WFUS1 KTOP 202158 RRA
TORTOP
KSC117-131-202240-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
455 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA KS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
     NORTHERN NEMAHA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS
     NORTHEASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS

* UNTIL 540 PM CDT

* AT 454 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO 6 MILES NORTH OF
  SUMMERFIELD...OR ABOUT 24 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARYSVILLE...MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES PER HOUR.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
     BAILEYVILLE
     SUMMERFIELD
     BERN
     ONEIDA
     AXTELL
     SENECA

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...LEAVE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 19, 8:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson, Coffey43 min
Jun 19, 9:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson, Coffey30 min
Jun 19, 9:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Morris, Wabaunsee45 min
Jun 19, 10:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson22 min
Jun 19, 10:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee, Wabaunsee32 min
Jun 19, 10:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee30 min
Jun 19, 10:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson30 min
Jun 20, 5:37 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMarshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie33 min
Jun 20, 5:40 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMarshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie30 min
Jun 20, 6:05 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMarshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie35 min
Jun 20, 6:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBrown, Nemaha48 min
Jun 20, 6:34 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPJackson31 min
Jun 20, 6:57 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPJackson28 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes in 1998

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.