Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 18, 2025Edwards County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at May 18, 2025, 7:18 PM CDT for Edwards County, Kansas. It was in force for 27 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 18, 2025, 7:18 PM CDT (00:18 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2025, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.0 in

County Edwards County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:21 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, 7:21 PM CDTTORNADO3 Se Kinsley, KSStart of Kinsley tornado.
May 18, 7:31 PM CDTTORNADO3 E Kinsley, KSLive streaming video of tornado was on KAKE-TV.
May 18, 7:31 PM CDTTORNADO3 E Kinsley, KSLive streaming video of tornado was on KAKE-TV.
May 18, 7:33 PM CDTTORNADO4 Ene Kinsley, KSEnd of Kinsley tornado.
May 18, 7:39 PM CDTTORNADO3 N Lewis, KSBeginning of Garfield 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 18, 3:38 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 51 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.

646 
WFUS53 KDDC 190018
TORDDC
KSC047-190045-
/O.NEW.KDDC.TO.W.0004.250519T0018Z-250519T0045Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Dodge City has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Edwards County in south central Kansas...

* Until 745 PM CDT.

* At 718 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Kinsley, moving northeast at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and hail up to two inches in diameter.

  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.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Kinsley and Lewis around 725 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3781 9938 3785 9945 3800 9938 3800 9909
TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 216DEG 25KT 3786 9937 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

UMSCHEID
2 follow-up statements
842 
WWUS53 KDDC 190029
SVSDDC

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

KSC047-190045-
/O.CON.KDDC.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-250519T0045Z/
Edwards KS-
729 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
EDWARDS COUNTY...

At 729 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 4 miles east of Kinsley, moving northeast at 25 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.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
central Edwards County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3789 9934 3790 9940 3800 9938 3800 9919
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 204DEG 24KT 3793 9934 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.50 IN

$$

UMSCHEID
730 
WWUS53 KDDC 190032
SVSDDC

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

KSC047-190045-
/O.CON.KDDC.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-250519T0045Z/
Edwards KS-
732 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
EDWARDS COUNTY...
  
At 732 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located 4 miles east of Kinsley,
moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and ping pong ball size hail.

SOURCE...Media storm chaser confirmed tornado.

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.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
central Edwards County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is ongoing. 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3789 9934 3790 9940 3800 9938 3800 9919
TIME...MOT...LOC 0032Z 203DEG 23KT 3794 9934 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.50 IN

$$

UMSCHEID

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, 7:28 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 18, 11:23 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatDDCPratt, Stafford20 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.