Flood and Hail in Kansas, August 24, 2004

Name: Flood and Hail in Kansas, August 24, 2004
Start: 2004-08-24T00:29
End: 2004-08-24T07:08
Location: Kansas

August 24, 2004 · NWS TOP · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 TOP wrote it up.

Thunderstorms developed over north central and northeast Kansas the evening of the 23rd and continued into the morning hours of the 24th. Many became severe and produced numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds. Flash flooding was also reported in some areas due to runoff from 2 to 4 inches of rain. Two short lived tornadoes were also reported.

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 23, 4:59 PM CST, 7 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 4:59 PM CST, 7 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
559 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

.DISCUSSION...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVLOP IN MOSITURE CONVERGENT AREA WITH
SEVERAL APPROACHING SEVERE CRITERIA.  WILL UPDATE ZONES TO GO
SCATTERED AND MENTION SOME POSSIBLE SEVERE FOR THE EVENING HOURS.

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
MAIN CONCERNS ARE CONVECTIVE CHANCES...THEN TEMPERATURES.

NUMEROUS BOUNDARIES AT SURFACE WITH A DIRTY WEST/SOUTHWEST H500
FLOW.  THIS CREATES A VERY COMPLEX PATTERN FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

PRECIP OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON LIKELY FORMING FOR
SEVERAL REASONS...INCLUDING H500 SHORTWAVE/ISENTROPIC LIFT AND H850
THETA-E ADVECTION.

H850 AND H700 THETA-E INCREASE DURING THE EVENING WITH PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUE REMAINING ABOVE 1.5 INCHES.  MEANWHILE...THE LEFT EXIT
REGION OF THE H200 JET WILL BE POISED ALONG THE OK-KS BORDER DURING
THE EVENING AS A TRAILING VORT LOBE SWINGS AROUND THE BACKSIDE WITH
THE H500 SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND
NORTHEAST KANSAS.  THIS SHOULD ALLOW TSTMS TO REFORM ACROSS MUCH OF
THE FORECAST AREA LATER THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.

REMNANTS WILL HANG THROUGH EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA TUESDAY
MORNING...AND DEPENDING ON SURFACE BOUNDARIES AND THE AMOUNT OF
HEATING...MAY REFORM NEAR THE NEBRASKA BORDER DURING THE AFTERNOON.
THE MAIN PROBLEM WILL BE WHETHER ENOUGH OF A CAP CAN GET IN PLACE
DURING THE AFTERNOON TO INHIBIT SOME OF THE ACTIVITY.

WITH A SURFACE WARM FRONT IN THE AREA AND WEAK SHORTWAVES ALOFT...
EXPECT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR TSTMS WEDNESDAY INTO THE EVENING BEFORE
DRYING OCCURS THURSDAY.

FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MODELS GENERALLY IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH
THIS PERIOD.  THE ECMWF WAS SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN
GFS/DGEX/UKMET/NOGAPS  WITH THE CANADIAN SLIGHTLY SLOWER.  THERE IS
A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR HEAT INDUCED THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS
MOISTURE LEVELS INCREASE.  THE BEST THREAT FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE
CENTERED AROUND 12Z SATURDAY WITH THE SURFACE FRONT CROSSING THE
FORECAST AREA AND THE H500 TROF MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS.  WILL
HOLD HIGHS JUST ABOVE 90 THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THEN COOL TO AROUND 80
ON SATURDAY WITH LOTS OF CLOUDS AND PRECIP IN THE AREA.  HIGHS
SHOULD RETURN TO THE MID 80S SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH GOOD SUNSHINE...
BUT ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST BY MONDAY AFTERNOON.

&&

.TOP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 23, 5:35 PM CST, 6 hours 54 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
635 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-241000-
ANDERSON-BROWN-CLAY-CLOUD-COFFEY-DICKINSON-DOUGLAS-FRANKLIN-GEARY-
JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LYON-MARSHALL-MORRIS-NEMAHA-OSAGE-OTTAWA-
POTTAWATOMIE-REPUBLIC-RILEY-SHAWNEE-WABAUNSEE-WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABILENE...CLAY CENTER...CONCORDIA...
EMPORIA...HIAWATHA...JUNCTION CITY...LAWRENCE...MANHATTAN...
MARYSVILLE...OTTAWA AND TOPEKA
635 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT.  A FEW OF THE STORMS
COULD BE SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  AN
ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
EVENING.  SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.

ANOTHER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OCCURS LATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/TOP  (ALL LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 23, 9:13 PM CST, 3 hours 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1013 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1012 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAWRENCE                38.97N 95.24W
08/23/2004                   DOUGLAS            KS   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            SEVERAL WATER RESCUES BEING PERFORMED FOR STRANDED
            MOTORISTS WITHIN LAWRENCE AND DOUGLAS CTY.

&&

DS

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 9:40 PM CST, 2 hours 49 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1040 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

KSZ008>012-020-240600-
BROWN-CLOUD-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CONCORDIA...HIAWATHA AND MARYSVILLE
1040 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 777 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE WATCH...

  REPUBLIC              WASHINGTON            NEMAHA
  MARSHALL              BROWN                 CLOUD

SOME CITIES NO LONGER IN THE TORNADO WATCH...

  CONCORDIA             MARYSVILLE            HIAWATHA

KSZ021>024-026-035>040-054>056-058-059-240600-
ANDERSON-CLAY-COFFEY-DICKINSON-DOUGLAS-FRANKLIN-GEARY-JACKSON-
JEFFERSON-LYON-MORRIS-OSAGE-POTTAWATOMIE-RILEY-SHAWNEE-WABAUNSEE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABILENE...CLAY CENTER...EMPORIA...JUNCTION
CITY...LAWRENCE...MANHATTAN...OTTAWA AND TOPEKA
1040 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 777 REMAINS IN EFFECT...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES REMAIN IN THE TORNADO WATCH...

  JACKSON               CLAY                  RILEY
  POTTAWATOMIE          JEFFERSON             GEARY
  SHAWNEE               WABAUNSEE             DICKINSON
  DOUGLAS               MORRIS                OSAGE
  LYON                  FRANKLIN              COFFEY
  ANDERSON

SOME CITIES STILL IN THE TORNADO WATCH...

  EMPORIA               OTTAWA                ABILENE
  LAWRENCE              JUNCTION CITY         TOPEKA
  MANHATTAN             CLAY CENTER

Local storm report, Aug 23, 9:45 PM CST, 2 hours 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1045 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1015 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MANHATTAN               39.18N 96.57W
08/23/2004                   RILEY              KS   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            WATER REPORTED COVERING EAST BOUND LANE K18 6 INCHES DEEP
            IN MANHATTAN

&&

DS

Local storm report, Aug 23, 9:48 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1048 PM CDT MON AUG 23 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1043 PM     HAIL             MANHATTAN               39.18N 96.57W
08/23/2004  1.00 INCH        RILEY              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

1043 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MANHATTAN               39.18N 96.57W
08/23/2004                   RILEY              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            3RD STREET ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN COMPLETELY SUBMERGED
            UNDER WATER.

&&

DS

Local storm report, Aug 24, 12:02 AM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
102 AM CDT TUE AUG 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1257 AM     HAIL             4 SSW MAPLE HILL        39.03N 96.06W
08/24/2004  0.88 INCH        WABAUNSEE          KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

DS

Special weather statement, Aug 24, 12:13 AM CST, 16 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
113 AM CDT TUE AUG 24 2004

KSZ021>024-026-035>040-054>056-058-059-240641-
ANDERSON-CLAY-COFFEY-DICKINSON-DOUGLAS-FRANKLIN-GEARY-JACKSON-
JEFFERSON-LYON-MORRIS-OSAGE-POTTAWATOMIE-RILEY-SHAWNEE-WABAUNSEE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABILENE...CLAY CENTER...EMPORIA...
JUNCTION CITY...LAWRENCE...MANHATTAN...OTTAWA AND TOPEKA
113 AM CDT TUE AUG 24 2004

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 777 HAS EXPIRED AND WILL NOT BE RENEWED.
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
WITH ISOLATED LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Shawnee

When: August 24, 12:29 AM CST
Where: Shawnee County, 2 mi E of Dover
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.967, -95.900

Hail, Osage

When: August 24, 12:55 AM CST
Where: Osage County, 8 mi WNW of Carbondale
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.867, -95.767

Flood, Pottawatomie

When: August 24, 1:20 AM CST to 3:45 AM CST
Where: Pottawatomie forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.379, -96.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rain produced flooding. Water was over the junction of highway 24 and Lake Elbow Road and the area was closed for a time.

Hail, Jefferson

When: August 24, 7:08 AM CST
Where: Jefferson County, Perry
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.083, -95.400

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, August 2004

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: 5417509, 5417510, 5417511, 5417512.