Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Topeka, KS

May 18, 2026Clay County, Pottawatomie County, Riley County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 18, 2026, 5:42 PM CDT for Clay County, Pottawatomie County, Riley County, Kansas. It was in force for 27 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 18, 2026, 5:42 PM CDT (22:42 UTC)
Expired: May 18, 2026, 6:09 PM CDT
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.5 in

Counties Clay County, KS, Pottawatomie County, KS, Riley County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:43 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 18, 12:50 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 100 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 963 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 71 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 271 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 4.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

802 
WFUS53 KTOP 182242
TORTOP
KSC027-149-161-182330-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0039.260518T2242Z-260518T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Topeka KS
542 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Riley County in northeastern Kansas...
  Northwestern Pottawatomie County in northeastern Kansas...
  East central Clay County in north central Kansas...

* Until 630 PM CDT.

* At 541 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Riley, moving northeast at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and ping pong ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. This storm has a history of 
           producing tornadoes. A NWS Meteorogist reported a brief 
           tornadoe just north of Wakefield at 535 PM.

  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...
  Westmoreland, Riley, Leonardville, Olsburg, Randolph, and Tuttle
  Creek Lake.

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 3941 9642 3929 9634 3921 9685 3922 9685
      3922 9694 3929 9703 3957 9677 3957 9673
TIME...MOT...LOC 2241Z 246DEG 32KT 3926 9688 

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

$$

Griesemer

2 follow-up statements

638 
WWUS53 KTOP 182259
SVSTOP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
559 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

KSC027-182309-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-260518T2330Z/
Clay-
559 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL CLAY COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out 
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for northeastern
Kansas.

&&

LAT...LON 3937 9640 3928 9669 3940 9683 3957 9672
      3941 9642
TIME...MOT...LOC 2259Z 230DEG 41KT 3941 9669 

$$

KSC149-161-182330-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-260518T2330Z/
Riley-Pottawatomie-
559 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR NORTH
CENTRAL RILEY AND NORTHWESTERN POTTAWATOMIE COUNTIES...

At 559 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Randolph, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar 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...
Westmoreland, Olsburg, Randolph, and Tuttle Creek Lake.

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 3937 9640 3928 9669 3940 9683 3957 9672
      3941 9642
TIME...MOT...LOC 2259Z 230DEG 41KT 3941 9669 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.25 IN

$$

Griesemer

755 
WWUS53 KTOP 182309
SVSTOP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
609 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

KSC149-161-182319-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-260518T2330Z/
Riley-Pottawatomie-
609 PM CDT Mon May 18 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL RILEY AND NORTHWESTERN
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for northeastern
Kansas.

&&

LAT...LON 3937 9640 3928 9669 3940 9683 3957 9672
      3941 9642
TIME...MOT...LOC 2308Z 246DEG 32KT 3945 9657 

$$

Griesemer

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 7:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Washington	19 min
May 17, 7:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Ottawa	45 min
May 17, 7:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Washington	40 min
May 17, 7:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud	25 min
May 17, 7:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Ottawa	26 min
May 17, 7:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	24 min
May 17, 8:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Cloud, Ottawa	42 min
May 17, 8:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Washington	40 min
May 17, 8:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Cloud, Republic, Washington	35 min
May 17, 8:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Ottawa	44 min
May 17, 8:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Marshall, Washington	29 min
May 17, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud, Riley, Washington	46 min
May 17, 8:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Washington	34 min
May 17, 8:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Washington	34 min
May 17, 8:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Ottawa	48 min
May 17, 9:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Washington	35 min
May 17, 9:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Riley	29 min
May 17, 9:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall	34 min
May 17, 9:40 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Ottawa	99 min
May 17, 9:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Ottawa	34 min
May 17, 9:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Nemaha	44 min
May 17, 10:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	18 min
May 17, 10:25 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Brown, Nemaha	65 min
May 17, 10:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Clay	30 min
May 17, 10:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Brown, Jackson, Nemaha	32 min
May 17, 11:19 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Ottawa	3 hr
May 17, 11:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	38 min
May 18, 12:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Ottawa	24 min
May 18, 12:23 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Morris, Riley	37 min
May 18, 2:37 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Ottawa	4 hr
May 18, 4:47 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	TOP	Ottawa	5 hr
May 18, 1:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	67 min
May 18, 2:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic, Washington	58 min
May 18, 2:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Ottawa	55 min
May 18, 2:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Ottawa	43 min
May 18, 2:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic, Washington	39 min
May 18, 2:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Washington	32 min
May 18, 2:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Cloud, Ottawa	40 min
May 18, 2:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Republic, Washington	38 min
May 18, 3:08 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Washington	4 hr
May 18, 3:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Ottawa	35 min
May 18, 3:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud, Washington	21 min
May 18, 3:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud, Ottawa	35 min
May 18, 3:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud, Washington	33 min
May 18, 4:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Washington	29 min
May 18, 4:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud, Ottawa	56 min
May 18, 4:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Ottawa	35 min
May 18, 4:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall, Nemaha	17 min
May 18, 4:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Republic	32 min
May 18, 4:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Marshall, Riley, Washington	45 min
May 18, 4:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Ottawa	42 min
May 18, 5:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Marshall, Washington	53 min
May 18, 5:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Ottawa, Riley	49 min
May 18, 5:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Riley, Washington	12 min
May 18, 5:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Geary, Riley	30 min
May 18, 5:40 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Clay, Marshall, Washington	3 hr
May 18, 5:43 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Clay	3 hr
May 18, 5:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Marshall, Nemaha	54 min
May 18, 5:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Morris, Riley	36 min
May 18, 6:09 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Marshall	3 hr
May 18, 6:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Dickinson, Geary, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wabaunsee	24 min
May 18, 6:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Nemaha	44 min
May 18, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Geary, Jackson, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee and 1 more	48 min
May 18, 6:46 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley	3 hr
May 18, 6:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Brown, Nemaha	26 min
May 18, 6:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	TOP	Jackson, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Wabaunsee	23 min
May 18, 6:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Brown, Jackson, Nemaha, Pottawatomie	36 min
May 18, 6:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary, Morris, Wabaunsee	46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes 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.