Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Topeka, KS

May 8, 2002Wabaunsee County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 8, 2002, 5:30 PM CDT for Wabaunsee County, Kansas. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 8, 2002, 5:30 PM CDT (22:30 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 2002, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Wabaunsee County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 7 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:34 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 8, 5:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52 EAlma, 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
May 8, 2:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 45 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 2002-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 50 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 12:00Z on 2002-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 522 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
50 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-814 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1189 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
522 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
829 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KTOP 082230
TORTOP
KSC197-082300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
530 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN WABAUNSEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 529 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 3 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF ALMA...OR ABOUT 22 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MANHATTAN...
  MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
  PAXICO
  MAPLE HILL

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. IF NO
BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE
BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR HEAD AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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

LAT...LON 3904 9634 3891 9628 3891 9594 3909 9596
          3918 9610

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 7, 10:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP39 min
May 7, 10:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP36 min
May 8, 4:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP37 min
May 8, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP49 min
May 8, 4:38 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMorris37 min
May 8, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP53 min
May 8, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP49 min
May 8, 5:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP34 min
May 8, 5:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP54 min
May 8, 5:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP36 min
May 8, 5:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP48 min
May 8, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP41 min
May 8, 6:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP29 min
May 8, 6:21 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPJefferson24 min
May 8, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP49 min
May 8, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOP48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes in 2002

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.