Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Topeka, KS

May 6, 2015Republic County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2015, 5:37 PM CDT for Republic County, Kansas. It was in force for 38 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 6, 2015, 5:37 PM CDT (22:37 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 2015, 6:15 PM CDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Damage threat: Considerable
Hail: 1.5 in

County Republic County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:37 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 6, 5:45 PM CDT	TORNADO	5 Ese Republic, KS	SPOTTERS CONFIRMED LARGE TORNADO

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 6, 1:41 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 192 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: 21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 677 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 191 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 205 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.

983 
WFUS53 KTOP 062237
TORTOP
KSC157-062315-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0005.150506T2237Z-150506T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
537 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL REPUBLIC COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 615 PM CDT

* AT 534 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO
  WAS LOCATED NEAR SCANDIA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

  THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

  HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO.

  SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO EAST OF COURTLAND AT 
535 PM.

  IMPACT...YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. FLYING DEBRIS
           WILL BE DEADLY TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE
           HOMES WILL BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO HOMES...
           BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION
           POSSIBLE.

* THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL REPUBLIC
  COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A LARGE...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...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 4001 9752 3977 9775 3978 9788 4001 9777
TIME...MOT...LOC 2237Z 211DEG 27KT 3981 9781

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL...1.50IN

$$

SANDERS

2 follow-up statements

233 
WWUS53 KTOP 062249
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
549 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSC157-062315-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-150506T2315Z/
REPUBLIC-
549 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL REPUBLIC
COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM CDT...

AT 544 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO WAS
LOCATED NEAR REPUBLIC...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO.

SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO 5 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST 
OF REPUBLIC AT 545 PM.

IMPACT...YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. FLYING DEBRIS WILL
         BE DEADLY TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL
         BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO HOMES...BUSINESSES AND
         VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION POSSIBLE.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN REPUBLIC COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A LARGE...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...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 4001 9752 3985 9768 3985 9785 4001 9777
TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 211DEG 31KT 3990 9773

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL...1.50IN

$$

SANDERS

616 
WWUS53 KTOP 062303
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
603 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSC157-062315-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-150506T2315Z/
REPUBLIC-
603 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL REPUBLIC
COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM CDT...

AT 600 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR CHESTER...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO AND PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. TREE DAMAGE IS
         LIKELY.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF EXTREME NORTHERN REPUBLIC 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 4001 9752 3993 9760 3993 9781 4001 9777
TIME...MOT...LOC 2303Z 208DEG 28KT 3999 9767

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.50IN

$$

SANDERS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 5, 7:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Brown, Nemaha	43 min
May 6, 5:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Republic	26 min
May 6, 5:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	20 min
May 6, 5:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Republic	34 min
May 6, 6:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Republic	49 min
May 6, 6:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes 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.