Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 174, NWS Topeka, KS

May 17, 2026Republic County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 2026, 5:49 PM CDT for Republic County, Kansas. It was in force for 41 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2026, 5:49 PM CDT (22:49 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2026, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.25 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Republic County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:52 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 17, 3:16 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 196 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2026-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 343 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2026-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 286 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
343 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-358 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
860 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
286 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
460 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 17, 3:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 3:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 3:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Topeka KS
326 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-182030-
Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley-
Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris-
Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson-
326 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas,
east central Kansas, north central Kansas, and northeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

Gusty south winds from 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph
through early evening.

Scattered severe storms are possible after 5 PM across north central
Kansas. These storms may form into a line as they move east southeast
this evening. Very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a few
tornadoes are the main hazards. Localized flooding is also a
concern if storms train over areas that received heavy rain the
previous evening.

A Flood Watch remains in effect from 7 PM this evening through 7
AM Tuesday morning for areas along and north of I-70. Widespread
rainfall totals of 2-4 inches are expected with locally higher
amounts could lead to flooding.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

Gusty south winds return across the Flint Hills Monday morning and
afternoon with sustained winds of 20-30 mph and gusts upwards of
45 mph into the early evening. A Wind Advisory remains in effect
for Dickinson, Morris, Lyon, Geary and Wabaunsee counties from 9
AM to 9 PM Monday.

The greatest chance for severe weather is still shaping up to be
Monday afternoon and Monday night. There is good confidence in
storms developing over north central KS by the early evening and
move across all of northeast and east-central Kansas through the
night. Storms will be capable of producing tornadoes, very large
hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. People should be prepared
for thunderstorms impacting the area.

A Flood Watch remains in effect from 7 PM this evening through 7
AM Tuesday morning for areas along and north of I-70. Widespread
rainfall totals of 2-4 inches are expected with locally higher
amounts could lead to flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic, Washington25 min
May 16, 7:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatTOPRepublic, Washington35 min
May 16, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRepublic40 min
May 16, 8:22 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPRepublic, Washington38 min
May 16, 8:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatTOPRepublic, Washington47 min
May 16, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatTOPRepublic35 min
May 16, 8:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRepublic, Washington47 min
May 16, 9:06 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryTOPRepublic, Washington5 hr
May 16, 9:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRepublic18 min
May 16, 9:09 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPWashington18 min
May 16, 9:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatTOPWashington45 min
May 16, 10:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic44 min
May 16, 11:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatTOPClay, Cloud, Republic, Washington40 min
May 16, 11:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatTOPMarshall, Washington45 min
May 16, 11:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatTOPClay, Cloud, Dickinson, Geary, Ottawa, Pottawatomie and 1 more37 min
May 17, 12:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatTOPMarshall, Nemaha44 min
May 17, 12:26 AM CDTTornado WarningTOPMarshall, Nemaha19 min
May 17, 12:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPClay, Geary, Marshall, Pottawatomie, Riley, Washington29 min
May 17, 12:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatTOPBrown, Nemaha43 min
May 17, 1:16 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPJackson29 min
May 17, 1:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBrown35 min
May 17, 12:06 PM CDTFlood WatchTOPAnderson, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson and 17 more38 hr
May 17, 12:06 PM CDTWind AdvisoryTOPDickinson, Geary, Lyon, Morris, Wabaunsee33 hr
May 17, 6:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic30 min
May 17, 6:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic17 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

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