Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Kansas City, MO

May 1, 2008Johnson County, Kansas

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this tornado warning at May 1, 2008, 7:37 PM CDT for Johnson County, Kansas. It was in force for 38 min. 5 reports 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 1, 2008, 7:37 PM CDT (00:37 UTC)
Expired: May 1, 2008, 8:15 PM CDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Kansas City, MO
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Johnson County, KS

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:38 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

Time	Report	Where
May 1, 7:43 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Gardner, KS
May 1, 7:45 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	2 Sw Olathe, KS
May 1, 7:51 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 E Gardner, KS
May 1, 7:56 PM CDT	HAIL 0.75	Gardner, KS
May 1, 8:13 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	2 S Stanley, KS

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 1, 5:36 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 73 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: 3122 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 168 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 
WFUS53 KEAX 020038
TOREAX
KSC091-020115-
/O.NEW.KEAX.TO.W.0009.080502T0037Z-080502T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
737 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  JOHNSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 733 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. STORM 
  SPOTTER WERE OBSERVING A WALL CLOUD WITH THIS STORM...AND A 
  TORNADO MAY TOUCHDOWN AT ANY TIME THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS 
  LOCATED NEAR EDGERTON...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  OLATHE BY 755 PM CDT.
  LENEXA BY 805 PM CDT.
  OVERLAND PARK BY 810 PM CDT.
  LEAWOOD...PRAIRIE VILLAGE...MISSION HILLS AND COUNTRYSIDE BY 815 PM
  CDT.

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT
WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME AREA. GO TO A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR
ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR

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...EVACUATE 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.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

LAT...LON 3904 9462 3878 9461 3873 9498 3874 9501
      3888 9505
TIME...MOT...LOC 0037Z 233DEG 28KT 3879 9492

$$

BOOKBINDER

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KEAX 020050
SVSEAX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
749 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

KSC091-020115-
/O.CON.KEAX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-080502T0115Z/
JOHNSON KS-
749 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR JOHNSON COUNTY IN EAST
CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 815 PM CDT...

AT 742 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. STORM SPOTTERS 
HAVE OBSERVED STRONG ROTATION WITH THIS STORM...AND ANY POSSIBLE 
TORNADO IS LIKELY WRAPPED IN RAIN OR HAIL. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS 
LOCATED NEAR GARDNER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  OLATHE BY 755 PM CDT.
  LENEXA BY 805 PM CDT.
  OVERLAND PARK BY 810 PM CDT.
  PRAIRIE VILLAGE...FAIRWAY...COUNTRYSIDE AND WESTWOOD BY 815 PM CDT.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT 
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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.

LAT...LON 3900 9463 3899 9462 3878 9461 3873 9498
      3874 9501 3888 9499 3904 9462
TIME...MOT...LOC 0049Z 233DEG 28KT 3885 9482

$$

BOOKBINDER

000 
WWUS53 KEAX 020115
SVSEAX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
814 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

KSC091-020124-
/O.EXP.KEAX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-080502T0115Z/
JOHNSON KS-
814 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR JOHNSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS WILL
EXPIRE AT 815 PM CDT...

AT 813 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE 
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE TRANSITIONED INTO A 
DAMAGING STRAIGHTLINE WIND THREAT. THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING 
HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FAR EASTERN JOHNSON AND JACKSON COUNTIES.

LAT...LON 3900 9463 3899 9462 3878 9461 3873 9498
      3874 9501 3888 9499 3904 9462
TIME...MOT...LOC 0114Z 233DEG 28KT 3897 9462

$$

BOOKBINDER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Kansas City, MO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 1, 7:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EAX	Johnson, Wyandotte	33 min
May 1, 7:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EAX	Johnson, Miami	42 min
May 1, 7:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EAX	Wyandotte	39 min
May 1, 8:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EAX	Johnson	34 min
May 1, 8:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EAX	Miami	39 min
May 1, 8:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EAX	Johnson, Miami	26 min
May 1, 10:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EAX	Linn	22 min
May 2, 1:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EAX	Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Wyandotte	47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.