Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2015
Tornado Warning 21, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2015, 6:44 PM CDT for Brown County, Kansas. It was in force for 31 min. 2 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 15, 2015, 6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
- Expired
- May 15, 2015, 7:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 31 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 0.0 in
County Brown County, KS
The radar
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:45 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 | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 7:02 PM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 Nnw Horton, KS | SPOTTER REPORTED AT LEAST A WELL DEFINED FUNNEL CLOUD, BUT NO TORNADO ON THE GROUND. |
| May 15, 7:12 PM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 2 N Willis, KS | SAW A BRIEF FUNNEL THAT HAS SINCE LIFTED. HE IS STILL SEEING DECENT ROTATION WITH THE WALL CLOUD. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KFOE), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 83 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1804 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -46 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 771 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -9 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 44 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
275
WFUS53 KTOP 152344
TORTOP
KSC013-160015-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0021.150515T2344Z-150516T0015Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
644 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2015
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTH CENTRAL BROWN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...
* UNTIL 715 PM CDT
* AT 642 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE KICKAPOO
RESERVATION...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
HAZARD...TORNADO.
SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD.
IMPACT...EXPECT DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES...ROOFS AND VEHICLES.
* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
WILLIS AROUND 700 PM CDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.
&&
LAT...LON 3980 9559 3979 9551 3976 9545 3966 9556
3967 9565
TIME...MOT...LOC 2344Z 213DEG 15KT 3968 9559
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN
$$2 follow-up statements
011
WWUS53 KTOP 152358
SVSTOP
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
658 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2015
KSC013-160015-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-150516T0015Z/
BROWN-
658 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2015
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL BROWN COUNTY
UNTIL 715 PM CDT...
AT 655 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED 2 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF WILLIS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.
HAZARD...TORNADO.
SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.
IMPACT...EXPECT DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES...ROOFS AND VEHICLES.
THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
WILLIS AROUND 705 PM CDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.
THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING A TORNADO AND FUNNEL CLOUDS.
TAKE COVER IN A BASEMENT OR STORM SHELTER NOW!
&&
LAT...LON 3971 9562 3980 9558 3979 9551 3976 9545
3967 9554
TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 213DEG 12KT 3971 9556
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN
$$351
WWUS53 KTOP 160009
SVSTOP
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
709 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2015
KSC013-160015-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-150516T0015Z/
BROWN-
709 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2015
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL BROWN COUNTY UNTIL
715 PM CDT...
AT 707 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR WILLIS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
HAZARD...TORNADO.
SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF
HORTON AT 702 PM.
IMPACT...EXPECT DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES...ROOFS AND VEHICLES.
THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL BROWN
COUNTY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.
&&
LAT...LON 3970 9551 3972 9559 3980 9556 3979 9551
3976 9545
TIME...MOT...LOC 0008Z 220DEG 12KT 3974 9552
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN
$$
PHILLIPSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 5:06 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Republic | 24 min |
| May 15, 8:48 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Marshall | 27 min |
| May 15, 6:23 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Brown, Jackson | 22 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2015Every tornado warning in 2015Tornadoes in 2015
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.