Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2026
Tornado Warning 21, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2026, 8:22 PM CDT for Republic County, Washington County, Kansas. It was in force for 38 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 16, 2026, 8:22 PM CDT (01:22 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 2026, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 0.75 in
Counties Republic County, KS, Washington County, KS
The radar
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:21 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 8:46 PM CDT | HAIL 1 | 1 W Haddam, KS | |
| May 16, 9:10 PM CDT | HAIL 1.25 | 1 Nne Haddam, KS | mPing Report. |
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 16, 5:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 9 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 169 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
- 2671 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -7 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1677 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 40 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 95 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 4.6
The text
As transmitted.
953
WFUS53 KTOP 170122
TORTOP
KSC157-201-170200-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0021.260517T0122Z-260517T0200Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Topeka KS
822 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Northeastern Republic County in north central Kansas...
Northwestern Washington County in north central Kansas...
* Until 900 PM CDT.
* At 822 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Haddam, moving northeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
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...
Haddam and Mahaska.
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 4000 9701 3975 9732 3978 9738 4000 9740
TIME...MOT...LOC 0122Z 205DEG 16KT 3980 9733
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
$$
CP2 follow-up statements
242
WWUS53 KTOP 170132
SVSTOP
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
832 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
KSC157-170141-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-260517T0200Z/
Republic-
832 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN REPUBLIC COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT for
north central Kansas.
&&
LAT...LON 4000 9701 3980 9728 3982 9734 3991 9737
4000 9737
TIME...MOT...LOC 0131Z 214DEG 17KT 3984 9730
$$
KSC201-170200-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-260517T0200Z/
Washington-
832 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY...
At 831 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Haddam, moving northeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado and baseball 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...
Haddam and Mahaska.
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 4000 9701 3980 9728 3982 9734 3991 9737
4000 9737
TIME...MOT...LOC 0131Z 214DEG 17KT 3984 9730
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.75 IN
$$
CP397
WWUS53 KTOP 170151
SVSTOP
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
851 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
KSC201-170200-
/O.EXP.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-260517T0200Z/
Washington-
851 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 900 PM CDT...
The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT for
north central Kansas.
Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for
northwestern Washington County until 915 PM.
&&
LAT...LON 4000 9701 3980 9728 3982 9734 3991 9737
4000 9737
TIME...MOT...LOC 0150Z 205DEG 16KT 3992 9725
$$
CPThe office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 7:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Cloud, Republic, Washington | 25 min |
| May 16, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic, Washington | 35 min |
| May 16, 8:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic | 40 min |
| May 16, 8:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic, Washington | 47 min |
| May 16, 8:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic | 35 min |
| May 16, 8:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic, Washington | 47 min |
| May 16, 9:06 PM CDT | Areal Flood Advisory | TOP | Republic, Washington | 5 hr |
| May 16, 9:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic | 18 min |
| May 16, 9:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Washington | 18 min |
| May 16, 9:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Washington | 45 min |
| May 16, 10:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Cloud, Republic | 44 min |
| May 16, 11:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Cloud, Republic, Washington | 40 min |
| May 16, 11:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Marshall, Washington | 45 min |
| May 16, 11:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Geary, Ottawa, Pottawatomie and 1 more | 37 min |
| May 17, 12:16 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Marshall, Nemaha | 44 min |
| May 17, 12:26 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Marshall, Nemaha | 19 min |
| May 17, 12:31 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Geary, Marshall, Pottawatomie, Riley, Washington | 29 min |
| May 17, 12:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Brown, Nemaha | 43 min |
| May 17, 1:16 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Jackson | 29 min |
| May 17, 1:25 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Brown | 35 min |
| May 17, 12:06 PM CDT | Flood Watch | TOP | Anderson, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson and 17 more | 38 hr |
| May 17, 12:06 PM CDT | Wind Advisory | TOP | Dickinson, Geary, Lyon, Morris, Wabaunsee | 33 hr |
| May 17, 5:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Republic | 41 min |
| May 17, 6:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Cloud, Republic | 30 min |
| May 17, 6:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Cloud, Republic | 17 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.