Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 18, 2001

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 18, 2001
Start: 2001-07-18T21:30
End: 2001-07-18T21:45
Location: Kansas

July 18, 2001 · NWS GID · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Late evening severe thunderstorms produced winds in excess of 60 mph in western Smith county. Damage to outbuildings was reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $33,000
Crop damage: $2.2 million
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.

Late evening severe thunderstorms produced winds in excess of 60 mph in western Smith county. Damage to outbuildings was reported. Large hail accompanied the wind in parts of the county causing significant crop damage. Minor damage was also reported near the Pleasant Green Assembly of God Church about 12 miles north of Agra.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 18, 12:50 PM CST, 8 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 12:50 PM CST, 8 hours 40 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
150 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001

MAIN CONCERN IS THUNDER POTENTIAL TONIGHT AND THE CONTINUING HEAT.

REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC THIS AFTERNOON CONTINUES TO SHOW WDLY
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINTAINING THEMSELVES IN AREA
OF STRONG INSTABILITY AND MID LEVEL WAA LIFT...MOSTLY SOUTH OF I-
80. STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AS THEY MOVE EAST INTO RICHER MOISTURE.
MEANWHILE...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CONTINUES TO SHOW THE NON-
PROGRESSIVE PATTERN OF THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE DOME OVER THE
CENTRAL STATES WITH ACCOMPANYING TROFS ON EITHER SIDE. THE MAIN
UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER ALBERTA  CONTINUES TO EJECT A SERIES OF VORTS
OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN AND INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. AT THE SAME
TIME AMPLE MOISTURE CONTINUES TO STREAM NORTHEASTWARD OUT OF THE SUB-
TROPICS REGION. AT THE SFC...LOW PRESSURE WAS SITUATED OVER SD WITH
A STALLED BOUNDARY CUTTING THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE
OHIO VALLEY...AND TO THE EAST COAST. A COOL FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS
APPARENT EAST OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES IN EASTERN MT/WY.

THE ETA IS SUGGESTING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX
IS PLAUSIBLE THIS EVENING OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF NEB. LOW LEVEL
GEOSTROPHIC WINDS TAKE A CYCLONIC TURN WITHIN A SMALL AREA OF 850MB
FRONTOGENESIS BETWEEN 00Z & 06Z IN THE VICINITY OF VTN...
SUGGESTING INITIATION CLOSE TO THAT LOCATION. AS STORMS ORGANIZE
OVERNIGHT WITH THE STRENGTHENING OF THE LOW LEVEL JET...CORFIDI
VECTORS INDICATE MOVEMENT EAST THEN SOUTHEAST. AT THIS POINT...AM
INCLINED TO GO WITH SMALL POPS...30 OR 40% CAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF
STORMS WILL BREACH NORTHERN CWA.

OTHERWISE...THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY SAGA CONTINUES. TEMPS TONIGHT
PROBABLY WON'T JUSTIFY AN ADVISORY...BUT ONE WILL MOST LIKELY BE
NEEDED TOMORROW AND FRIDAY AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SHOOT
NORTHWARD AND THE UNPROGRESSIVE UPPER LEVEL HIGH REMAINS IN PLACE.

NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE EXTENDED.

.GID...NONE.

DEE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:30 PM CST, 6 hours before

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-190000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK - SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
430 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001

...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING ACROSS PARTS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE EARLY THIS
EVENING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. WITH TEMPERATURES TOPPING
100 DEGREES...AND DEWPOINTS NEAR 65 DEGREES...THE ATMOSPHERE HAS
BECOME VERY UNSTABLE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. LITTLE TO NO
INHIBITION TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS IN PLACE...AS LOW LEVEL
WIND FIELDS CONVERGE ACROSS THE AREA.

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP AND MOST EAST ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS...ON A SCATTERED BASIS THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DOWNBURST WINDS...AND HAIL IN EXCESS OF ONE
INCH IN DIAMETER. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULE OUT BEFORE
SUNSET. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 10 PM. POCKETS OF HEAVY WILL FALL WITH THE STRONGEST
STORMS.

ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO FORECAST
TONIGHT...WITH AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM POSSIBLE. THE ATMOSPHERE
IS VERY UNSTABLE...BUT CAPPED SLIGHTLY MORE THAN AREAS FURTHER
SOUTH. THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MANAGE TO DEVELOP...WOULD LIKELY BE
SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT.
AGAIN...AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE BEFORE SUNSET.

MORITZ

Local storm report, Jul 18, 6:12 PM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
712 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0644 PM    HUBBELL                   NE    70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/18/01   THAYER                          REPORTED BY GENERAL
                                           PUBLIC

0702 PM    3 NE HUBBELL              NE    TORNADO
07/18/01   THAYER                          LAW ENFORCEMENT
                                           PERSONNEL REPORTED
                                           SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A
                                           MACHINE SHED.

33

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 8:50 PM CST, 40 minutes before

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-190400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
950 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2001

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 576 FOR NORTH CENTRAL WILL
EXPIRE AT 10 PM...

...A PORTION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 580 FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA IS CANCELLED...

REGARDING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 576...WHICH WAS IN
EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...IT WILL EXPIRE AT 10 PM
AND NOT BE EXTENDED AT THIS TIME. THUNDERSTORMS WILL RUMBLE
ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS...BUT WIDESPREAD
SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

REGARDING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 580...WHICH WAS ISSUED
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...A PORTION OF THAT WATCH HAS BEEN
CANCELLED. THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN     HOWARD     MERRICK
POLK       DAWSON      BUFFALO   GOSPER      PHELPS     KEARNEY
FURNAS     HARLAN

THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING 10 COUNTIES UNTIL
MIDNIGHT...

HALL     HAMILTON     YORK     ADAMS     CLAY     FILLMORE
FRANKLIN WEBSTER      NUCKOLLS THAYER

&STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS THROUGHOUT
THE NIGHT FROM THE HASTINGS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

MORITZ

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Smith

When: July 18, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Smith County, 15 mi SW of Smith Center
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $200,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.933, -99.117

Thunderstorm Wind, Smith

When: July 18, 9:45 PM CST
Where: Smith County, 6 mi NW of Smith Center
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.633, -98.983

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When: July 18, 9:45 PM CST
Where: Phillips County, 12 mi N of Agra
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: $500,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.850, -98.867

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, July 2001

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: 5262725, 5261358, 5261359.