Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 18, 2025Pratt County, Stafford County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at May 18, 2025, 11:23 PM CDT for Pratt County, Stafford County, Kansas. It was in force for 20 min. 4 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 18, 2025, 11:23 PM CDT (04:23 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2025, 11:43 PM CDT
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Observed
Damage threat
Considerable
Hail
2.0 in

Counties Pratt County, KS, Stafford County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:23 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 18, 11:23 PM CDTTORNADO4 Sw Neola, KSStorm chaser photo of large tornado along with debris signature on radar.
May 18, 11:23 PM CDTTORNADO4 Sw Neola, KSStorm chaser photo of large tornado along with debris signature on radar.
May 18, 11:40 PM CDTTORNADONeola, KS
May 18, 11:40 PM CDTTORNADONeola, 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 18, 3:38 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 119 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2025-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2754 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2025-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 599 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
2754 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
616 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
74 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
599 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
675 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
11.3
Supercell composite
45.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

254 
WFUS53 KDDC 190423
TORDDC
KSC151-185-190515-
/O.NEW.KDDC.TO.W.0013.250519T0423Z-250519T0515Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
1123 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

The National Weather Service in Dodge City has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Stafford County in south central Kansas...
  Northeastern Pratt County in south central Kansas...

* Until 1215 AM CDT.
  
* At 1123 PM CDT, a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado
  was located near Preston, moving northeast at 30 mph.

  This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado.

  IMPACT...You are in a life-threatening situation. Flying debris 
           may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile 
           homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, 
           businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete 
           destruction is possible.

* The tornado will be near...
  Neola around 1130 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly
tornado is ongoing. To protect your life, TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a
basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy
building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not
wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 3774 9864 3791 9867 3803 9847 3783 9847
      3782 9846 3778 9847
TIME...MOT...LOC 0423Z 242DEG 24KT 3781 9860 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

SPRINGER
2 follow-up statements
546 
WWUS53 KDDC 190435
SVSDDC

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
1135 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

KSC151-185-190515-
/O.CON.KDDC.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250519T0515Z/
Stafford KS-Pratt KS-
1135 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN STAFFORD AND NORTHEASTERN PRATT COUNTIES...
  
At 1134 PM CDT, a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was
located very near Neola, moving northeast at 30 mph.

This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!

HAZARD...Damaging tornado.

SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado.

IMPACT...You are in a life-threatening situation. Flying debris may 
         be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes 
         will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, 
         businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction 
         is possible.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
southeastern Stafford and northeastern Pratt Counties.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly
tornado is ongoing. To protect your life, TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a
basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy
building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not
wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 3777 9852 3788 9855 3795 9847 3783 9847
      3782 9846 3778 9847 3777 9849
TIME...MOT...LOC 0434Z 242DEG 24KT 3785 9851 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

SPRINGER
750 
WWUS53 KDDC 190443
SVSDDC

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
1143 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

KSC151-185-190453-
/O.CAN.KDDC.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250519T0515Z/
Stafford KS-Pratt KS-
1143 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN STAFFORD AND NORTHEASTERN
PRATT COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for south
central Kansas.

&&

LAT...LON 3777 9852 3788 9855 3795 9847 3783 9847
      3782 9846 3778 9847 3777 9849
TIME...MOT...LOC 0442Z 242DEG 24KT 3788 9844 

$$

SPRINGER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 7:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDDCEdwards, Pawnee39 min
May 18, 7:18 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCEdwards27 min
May 18, 7:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCEllis, Ness, Trego47 min
May 18, 7:36 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatDDCEdwards, Pawnee24 min
May 18, 7:56 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDDCPawnee34 min
May 18, 8:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCPawnee, Stafford18 min
May 18, 8:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDDCBarber, Comanche28 min
May 18, 8:57 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDDCKiowa33 min
May 18, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatDDCClark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Kiowa, Pratt49 min
May 18, 9:19 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCClark, Comanche, Kiowa26 min
May 18, 9:32 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatDDCEdwards, Kiowa43 min
May 18, 9:48 PM CDTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threatDDCKiowa42 min
May 18, 10:10 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedDDCKiowa, Pratt28 min
May 18, 10:20 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatDDCEdwards, Kiowa, Pratt40 min
May 18, 10:52 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCPratt, Stafford38 min
May 19, 1:25 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDDCRush50 min
May 19, 5:13 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDDCScott47 min
May 19, 5:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCLane, Scott49 min
May 19, 6:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCLane, Scott52 min
May 19, 6:50 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDDCLane40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

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.