Kansas, 1998

Tornadoes and Flooding in Kansas, September 13 to 30, 1998

September 13 to 30, 1998 · NWS ICT · 45 events in 14 counties and zones

27 hail, 14 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, 2 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$243,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Events
45

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 137 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

27 hail, 14 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Allen

When
September 13, 3:00 AM CST to September 14, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Allen forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.886, -95.301 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Remnants of "Frances" produced widespread 5-8 inch rains across Allen County that resulted in widespread street flooding, the majority of which occurred across the northern half of the county.

Flood, Labette

When
September 13, 7:00 AM CST to September 14, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Labette forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.191, -95.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Remnants of "Frances" produced widepsread 5-8 inch rains across Labette County. The resultant flooding closed a few roads and bridges.

Hail, McPherson

When
September 20, 3:20 PM CST
Where
McPherson County, Roxbury
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.550, -97.420

Hail, Marion

When
September 20, 3:55 PM CST
Where
Marion County, 5 mi E of Durham
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.480, -97.120

Hail, McPherson

When
September 20, 4:00 PM CST
Where
McPherson County, 2 mi NW of Roxbury
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
38.570, -97.450

Hail, Marion

When
September 20, 4:14 PM CST
Where
Marion County, 6 mi NW of Durham
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.550, -97.300

Hail, Marion

When
September 20, 4:17 PM CST
Where
Marion County, Durham
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.480, -97.220

Hail, McPherson

When
September 20, 4:43 PM CST
Where
McPherson County, Lindsborg
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.580, -97.670

Hail, Marion

When
September 20, 5:23 PM CST
Where
Marion County, Tampa
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
38.550, -97.150

Hail, Sumner

When
September 21, 6:15 PM CST
Where
Sumner County, South Haven
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
37.050, -97.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Sumner

When
September 21, 6:27 PM CST
Where
Sumner County, 4 mi SE of South Haven
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.020, -97.350

Window blown out at South Haven Cafe and a tree fell onto a house in South Haven.

Hail, Reno

When
September 27, 5:05 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Willowbrook
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.100, -98.000

Hail, Reno

When
September 27, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Hutchinson
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
38.070, -97.920

Hail, Reno

When
September 27, 5:35 PM CST
Where
Reno County, 3 mi NE of Hutchinson
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
38.100, -97.880

Hail, Reno

When
September 27, 5:35 PM CST
Where
Reno County, South Hutchinson
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
38.030, -97.920

Hail, Reno

When
September 27, 5:39 PM CST
Where
Reno County, South Hutchinson
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.030, -97.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Reno

When
September 27, 6:17 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Pretty Prairie
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.780, -98.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman

When
September 27, 6:32 PM CST
Where
Kingman County, Kingman
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
37.650, -98.120

Thunderstorm Wind, Reno

When
September 27, 6:39 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Pretty Prairie
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.780, -98.020

Fuel tank blown over as were several power poles in Partridge.

Hail, Reno

When
September 27, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Plevna
Measured
2.5 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.970, -98.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Reno

When
September 27, 7:17 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Plevna
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.970, -98.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman

When
September 27, 8:38 PM CST
Where
Kingman County, Kingman
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.650, -98.120

Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman

When
September 27, 8:55 PM CST
Where
Kingman County, 17 mi NW of Kingman
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.820, -98.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Harper

When
September 27, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Harper County, 6 mi NE of Harper
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
37.350, -97.930

Eight power poles blown down along highway K-2.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chase

When
September 29, 2:35 PM CST
Where
Chase County, 9 mi W of Elmdale
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
38.370, -96.800

Hail, Barton

When
September 29, 6:04 PM CST
Where
Barton County, 4 mi N of Albert
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.500, -99.020

Hail, Barton

When
September 29, 6:10 PM CST
Where
Barton County, 6 mi W of Hoisington
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.520, -98.880

Tornado, Barton

When
September 29, 6:31 PM CST
Where
Barton County, Hoisington
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
110 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.520, -98.770

Occurred just south of Hoisington.

Hail, Barton

When
September 29, 6:31 PM CST
Where
Barton County, 6 mi NW of Great Bend
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.430, -98.850

Tornado, Barton

When
September 29, 6:33 PM CST
Where
Barton County, 2 mi S of Hoisington
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
110 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.480, -98.770

Hail, Barton

When
September 29, 6:53 PM CST
Where
Barton County, Great Bend
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.370, -98.770

Hail, Barton

When
September 29, 6:58 PM CST
Where
Barton County, 4 mi NE of Great Bend
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.400, -98.720

Hail, Greenwood

When
September 29, 7:04 PM CST
Where
Greenwood County, Madison
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.130, -96.130

Hail, Barton

When
September 29, 7:11 PM CST
Where
Barton County, Ellinwood
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.350, -98.580

Hail, Wilson

When
September 29, 8:19 PM CST
Where
Wilson County, Buffalo
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.700, -95.700

Hail, Wilson

When
September 29, 8:22 PM CST
Where
Wilson County, 8 mi SE of Buffalo
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.620, -95.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Barton

When
September 29, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Barton County, 3 mi SE of Great Bend
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.330, -98.730

Barn blown over.

Hail, Neosho

When
September 29, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Neosho County, Chanute
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.680, -95.470

Hail, Neosho

When
September 29, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Neosho County, 8 mi SE of Chanute
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.600, -95.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Neosho

When
September 29, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Neosho County, Thayer
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.480, -95.480

Ten inch diameter tree limbs blown down.

Hail, Rice

When
September 29, 10:45 PM CST
Where
Rice County, Little River
Measured
2.75 in hail
Crop damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.400, -98.020

Eightteen head of cattle were killed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rice

When
September 29, 10:48 PM CST
Where
Rice County, Lyons
Measured
64 kt (74 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.350, -98.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Allen

When
September 29, 11:27 PM CST
Where
Allen County, Iola
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.920, -95.400

trees and power lines downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, McPherson

When
September 30, 12:01 AM CST to 12:04 AM CST
Where
McPherson County, Windom
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.380, -97.900

Grain bins blown over, power lines and power poles blown down, houses sustained damage to roofs, siding and windows, and vehicles had windows blown out.

Hail, McPherson

When
September 30, 12:04 AM CST
Where
McPherson County, Windom
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.380, -97.900

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 1998Warnings in Kansas, September 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5668761, 5668762, 5668544, 5668545, 5668546, 5668547, 5668548, 5668549, 5668550, 5668741, 5668740, 5668551, 5668552, 5668553, 5668554, 5668555, 5668556, 5668557, 5668558, 5668613, 5668559, 5668737, 5668738, 5668739, 5668742, 5668743, 5668744, 5668745, 5668746, 5668747, 5668748, 5668749, 5668750, 5668751, 5668752, 5668753, 5668754, 5668755, 5668756, 5668757, and more.