Thunderstorms developed over north central and parts of northeast Kansas late in the afternoon of the 8th and continued into the early morning hours of the 9th. Many became severe with numerous reports of strong winds and large hail.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 episode as NWS TOP wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed over north central and parts of northeast Kansas late in the afternoon of the 8th and continued into the early morning hours of the 9th. Many became severe with numerous reports of strong winds and large hail.
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 8, 2:45 PM CST, 9 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 345 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004 .DISCUSSION... TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH MID WEEK ARE THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES. THE 12Z UPPER AIR MAPS SHOWED AN AMPLIFIED UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS WITH A DOWN STREAM UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND MID MS VALLEY REGION. A SHORTER WAVE LENGTH UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WAS DIGGING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. AT 19Z...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM SOUTHERN NE...WEST-SOUTHWEST ACROSS NORTHWEST KS. SOUTH OF THE FRONT THE ATMOSPHERE HAS RECOVERED FROM THIS MORNINGS RAINFALL AND CLOUD COVER. THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS NE. OUTFLOW FROM THESE STORMS MAY DEVELOP AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT MAY MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO THE CWA EARLY THIS EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES AND A FEW MAY BE SEVERE GIVEN CAPE ESTIMATES OF 1500-2500 J/KG. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. AFTER SUNSET THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL DIMINISH. THE MESO ETA MODEL SHOWS THE STORMS DISSIPATING ACROSS THE CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE FA AFTER 3Z. ON MONDAY THE COLD FRONT IN SOUTHERN NE WILL SLOWLY MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE FA. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REDEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE COLD FRONT TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE EVENING. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE FA LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTHERN KS AND NORTHERN OK. AN INTENSE 5H SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER CENTRAL CANADA WILL DIG SOUTHWARD AND AMPLIFY ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND MIDWEST. THIS WILL SEND A STRONG COLD FRONT...FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...SOUTH ACROSS KANSAS ON TUESDAY AND BRING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. AFTERNOON HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL WARM INTO THE LOWER TO MID 80S ACROSS THE FA. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES...TO THE NORTH OF THE COLD FRONT...AND UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES...SOUTH OF THE FRONT. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY MAY HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF THE SURFACE FRONT. THE EXTENDED RANGE MODELS ALL SHOW A LONGER WAVE LENGTH 5H TROUGH AMPLIFYING OVER THE MIDWEST AND MID MS VALLEY. THIS WILL CAUSE A COLD SURFACE RIDGE TO BUILD SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY. EVEN WITH SOLAR INSOLATION HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 70 DEGREE MARK. OVERNIGHT LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT MAY REACH THE UPPER 40S TO AROUND 50 DEGREES IN SOME LOCATIONS. THE LONGER WAVE-LENGTH UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SLOWLY PUSH EAST ALLOWING HIGH TEMPERATURES TO SLOWLY RECOVER INTO THE LOWER 80S BY NEXT SUNDAY. THOUGH IF THE LONGER WAVE-LENGTH UPPER LEVEL TROUGH REMAINS STATIONARY ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST...HIGH TEMPERATURES MAY REMAIN IN THE 70S THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE NEXT WEEK WITH THE COOL STABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE. && .TOP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR KSZ008>011-020>023-034>038 &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1112 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-091100- 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 1112 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/TOP (ALL LOWER CASE)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
835 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0829 PM TSTM WND GST 6 NNW PAXICO 39.15N 96.21W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WABAUNSEE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
844 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0840 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NW ST. MARYS 39.24N 96.12W
08/08/2004 60 MPH POTTAWATOMIE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
849 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0825 PM TSTM WND DMG WAMEGO 39.20N 96.30W
08/08/2004 POTTAWATOMIE KS FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
POWER POLES DOWN IN WAMEGO
&&
SMBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 900 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004 KSZ008>011-020>023-034>038-090215- CLAY-CLOUD-DICKINSON-GEARY-MARSHALL-MORRIS-NEMAHA-OTTAWA- POTTAWATOMIE-REPUBLIC-RILEY-WABAUNSEE-WASHINGTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABILENE...CLAY CENTER...CONCORDIA... JUNCTION CITY...MANHATTAN AND MARYSVILLE 900 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 720 HAS EXPIRED... THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE WATCH... REPUBLIC WASHINGTON NEMAHA MARSHALL CLOUD CLAY RILEY POTTAWATOMIE OTTAWA GEARY WABAUNSEE DICKINSON MORRIS SOME CITIES NO LONGER IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH... ABILENE JUNCTION CITY MANHATTAN CLAY CENTER CONCORDIA MARYSVILLE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
906 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0859 PM TSTM WND GST ESKRIDGE 38.86N 96.11W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WABAUNSEE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
6 INCH BRANCH BLOWN ACROSS HOUSE
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
929 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0520 PM TSTM WND GST 6 N HANOVER 39.98N 96.88W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0530 PM TSTM WND GST HANOVER 39.89N 96.88W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0530 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N WASHINGTON 39.83N 97.05W
08/08/2004 WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
6-8 INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN OFF
0545 PM HAIL 3 N SCANDIA 39.84N 97.78W
08/08/2004 0.75 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0548 PM HAIL 6 SE MORROWVILLE 39.78N 97.09W
08/08/2004 1.00 INCH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL COVERS GROUND
0555 PM TSTM WND GST 2 NW BARNES 39.73N 96.90W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0605 PM HAIL NORWAY 39.70N 97.77W
08/08/2004 0.88 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.
0617 PM TSTM WND GST 10 W AGENDA 39.71N 97.62W
08/08/2004 60 MPH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0617 PM TSTM WND GST 10 W AGENDA 39.71N 97.62W
08/08/2004 60 MPH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0630 PM HAIL JAMESTOWN 39.60N 97.86W
08/08/2004 1.00 INCH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY STORM SPOTTER.
0639 PM TSTM WND GST 13 N CLAY CENTER 39.57N 97.12W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0701 PM TSTM WND GST LEONARDVILLE 39.36N 96.86W
08/08/2004 70 MPH RILEY KS COUNTY OFFICIAL
0701 PM TSTM WND DMG LEONARDVILLE 39.36N 96.86W
08/08/2004 RILEY KS COUNTY OFFICIAL
TREES BLOWN DOWN IN LEONARDVILLE
0704 PM TSTM WND GST MILTONVALE 39.35N 97.45W
08/08/2004 70 MPH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0719 PM TSTM WND GST 8 SW MILTONVALE 39.27N 97.55W
08/08/2004 70 MPH OTTAWA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0729 PM HAIL 2 S MILTONVALE 39.32N 97.45W
08/08/2004 1.00 INCH CLOUD KS COUNTY OFFICIAL
0729 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NNW OAK HILL 39.30N 97.37W
08/08/2004 60 MPH OTTAWA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0733 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 E OLSBURG 39.43N 96.60W
08/08/2004 70 MPH POTTAWATOMIE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0747 PM HAIL 1 E JUNCTION CITY 39.03N 96.81W
08/08/2004 0.88 INCH GEARY KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
0750 PM TSTM WND GST 5 NE JUNCTION CITY 39.08N 96.77W
08/08/2004 60 MPH GEARY KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
REPORTED BY FORT RILEY MILITARY POLICE
0805 PM TSTM WND GST ABILENE 38.92N 97.21W
08/08/2004 60 MPH DICKINSON KS COUNTY OFFICIAL
0805 PM TSTM WND DMG ABILENE 38.92N 97.21W
08/08/2004 DICKINSON KS COUNTY OFFICIAL
TENT DAMAGED AT COUNTY FAIR
0816 PM TSTM WND GST 2 NW WAMEGO 39.22N 96.33W
08/08/2004 60 MPH POTTAWATOMIE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0825 PM TSTM WND DMG WAMEGO 39.20N 96.30W
08/08/2004 POTTAWATOMIE KS FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
POWER POLES DOWN IN WAMEGO
0829 PM TSTM WND GST 6 NNW PAXICO 39.15N 96.21W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WABAUNSEE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0840 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NW ST. MARYS 39.24N 96.12W
08/08/2004 60 MPH POTTAWATOMIE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0859 PM TSTM WND GST ESKRIDGE 38.86N 96.11W
08/08/2004 60 MPH WABAUNSEE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
6 INCH BRANCH BLOWN ACROSS HOUSE
&&
SMBThe Topeka radar (KTWX), 24 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:24 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds blew down some power lines.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 2004
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: 5417352.