Hail, Russell
- When
- July 4, 8:49 PM CST
- Where
- Russell County, 4 mi W of Russell
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 38.883, -98.917
13 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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 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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 2:34 PM CST, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 334 PM CDT SUN JUL 4 2004 .DISCUSSION... THIS EVE/TNGT: ATMOSPHERE IS RECHARGING ITSELF AS SUN BEGINS TO BREAK OUT FROM OVERNIGHT STORMS. DAY TIME HEATING WILL CREATE VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SRN KS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HRS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS NEXT SHORT WAVE CURRENTLY MOVING E INTO TX PANHANDLE WHICH IS TRYING TO PHASE WITH WITH NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH. THERE WILL BE A FAIRLY STRONG CAP IN PLACE TRYING TO HOLD DOWN THE VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS...HOWEVER APPROACHING SHORTWAVE SHOULD WEAKEN CAP ENOUGH FOR STORMS TO FIRE LATER THIS EVE. OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHT WAS IN CENTRAL OK BUT SHOULD MIX NORTHWARD AS SFC LOW DEEPENS OVER TX PANHANDLE. STORMS LOOK TO DEVELOP ALONG A WEAK BOUNDARY IN CENTRAL KS AND ALONG OUTFLOW/SEMI WARM FRONT BOUNDARY MIXING NORTH IN S CENTRL KS. SHEAR WILL INCREASE DURING THE EVENING HRS WHICH WILL CAUSE STORMS TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED WITH A FEW SUPERCELLS POSSIBLE. CANNOT TOTALLY RULE OUT A ISOLATED TORNADO IN S CENTRAL GIVEN HIGH INSTABILITY AND INCREASING SHEAR...EVEN WITH LCLS A BIT HIGH. SFC WINDS SHOULD BACK SOME ACROSS S CENTRL KS WITH DEEPENING SFC LOW OVER THE TX PANHANDLE. THE ACTIVITY LOOKS TO FORM A POSSIBLE MCS WHICH SHOULD MOVE E/SE. MANY LOCATIONS SAW HEAVY RAIN LAST NIGHT...THEREFORE ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS SO WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF SRN/SERN KS WITH THIS IN MIND. MON-MON NIGHT: EXPECT MCS TO BE ONGOING IN ERN KS DURING THE MORNING HOURS, WITH REST OF THE AREA CLEARING OUT. UNSTABLE AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA AS SUNSHINE RETURNS, SO WITH AFTN HEATING, ANOTHER ROUND OF SHRA/TSRA ARE POSSIBLE BY MON AFTN INTO MON NIGHT. NEXT IN A SERIES OF S/WV MOVES INTO THE AREA BY MON AFTN, WITH CAP LESS THAN TDY EXPECT RAPID DVLPMNT OF CONVECTION. WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON SVR AND FLOODING POTENTIAL TMRW, WITH TNGTS CONVECTION PLAYING A ROLE IN THESE DECISIONS. TUE: FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAKES ITS WAY DOWN ACROSS THE PLAINS ON TUES HELPING TO MOVE THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SOUTH OF THE AREA, AS DRIER CANADIAN AIR MOVING ACROSS KS. WILL KEEP LOW POPS ACROSS SRN HALF OF KS, AS SOME POST FRONTAL SHRA ARE POSSIBLE. WILL ALSO KEEP TEMPS BELOW CLIMO AS SHALLOW COOL AIR MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT. PREFER ETA GUID NUMBERS FOR HIGHS WED-THU: SFC RIDGE AND NW FLOW MOVES ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE MIDWEEK HELPING TO DRY US OUT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. WILL MODERATE TEMPS WITH A WARMING TREND EXPECTED BY THE END OF THE WEEK. FRI-SUN: RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING MORE SUMMERLIKE TEMPS TO THE AREA FOR THE START OF THE WEEKEND. MAIN MOISTURE ADVECTION WILL STAY WEST OF THE AREA ON FRI, SO WILL KEEP POPS OUT OF THE AREA UNTIL FRI NIGHT, WITH THE NOCTURNAL CONVECTION CHC RETURNING. WILL INSERT POPS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND, AS WEAK S/WVS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA WITH WEAK SFC BOUNDARY LOCATED ACROSS THE AREA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 71 91 68 83 / 50 30 40 30 HUTCHINSON 69 90 67 82 / 60 30 40 30 NEWTON 69 90 67 81 / 50 30 40 30 ELDORADO 70 90 68 83 / 50 30 40 30 WINFIELD-KWLD 72 92 69 85 / 50 30 40 30 RUSSELL 67 88 63 79 / 60 30 40 20 GREAT BEND 68 89 64 80 / 60 30 40 20 SALINA 69 90 66 81 / 50 30 40 20 MCPHERSON 69 90 66 81 / 50 30 40 20 COFFEYVILLE 72 91 70 85 / 50 30 40 30 CHANUTE 70 89 68 83 / 50 30 40 30 IOLA 70 89 68 83 / 50 30 40 30 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL MONDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS. && JAKUB/KETCHAM/22
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 425 PM CDT SUN JUL 4 2004 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-051200- RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE- RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER- SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE- 425 PM CDT SUN JUL 4 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR CENTRAL, SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HOWEVER, AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT BEFORE SUNSET IN SOUTHERN KANSAS. WARM AIR IN THE MID LAYERS WILL PROHIBIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT UNTIL EARLY THIS EVENING. BUT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE AREA, THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS THIS EVENING, WITH STORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS INTO THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THE ACTIVITY WILL TRY AND FORM INTO A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS LATER TONIGHT, AND MOVE RAPIDLY EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE A THREAT WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME FLOODING. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH FOR INFORMATION ON THIS FLOODING THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY, THOUGH THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL PROBABLY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL, SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION, SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/ICT/HWO/HWOICT.HTM KED/CJ/KETCHAM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
949 PM CDT SUN JUL 04 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0949 PM HAIL 4 W RUSSELL 38.89N 98.93W
07/04/2004 1.00 INCH RUSSELL KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
LFWThe Dodge City radar (KDDC), 155 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:46 UTC.
13 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Occurred in West Wichita at 2900 N. Ridge Rd.
Occurred at Central Ave/Ridge Rd. intersection.
Occurred at 53rd St. N.
Measured at Mid-Continent Airport.
House sustained major, but unspecified damage to upstairs attic. Fire crews fought the blaze for 2 hours. (Narrative courtesy of Arkansas City Traveler.)
Storage shed the size of a 3-car garage destroyed, with parts of the shed thrown onto elementary school grounds nearly one block away. An aluminum boat stored inside the shed was also thrown, with the boat blown into the windshield of a vehicle owned by the school. (Speed estimated per 0357 CST report from 3N Erie. Damage estimate a rough approximation with owners of the shed and it's contents waiting for damage assessment from their insurance company. Narrative details courtesy of Parsons Sun.)
Downed power lines. Speed estimated per 0357 CST report from 3N Erie.
Barn sustained minor roof damage with trees uprooted in it's immediate vicinity. (Narrative courtesy of Parsons Sun.) Approximately 180 homes damaged, the magnitude ranging from minor to a few that were considered "totaled" by insurance adjustors. The following town property sustained damage: The golf course club house, the roofs of an unspecified number of buildings, fencing at the summer ball field, the electrical circuitry at Riverside Park, and the former Tee Top building. Governor Sebelius declared Labette County a disaster area. (Latter portion of narrative courtesy of Oswego Independent Observer.)
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, July 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: 5410636, 5410637, 5410638, 5410639, 5410640, 5410641, 5410723, 5410724, 5410725, 5410726, 5410727, 5410728, 5410729, 5410730, 5410731, 5410732, 5410733, 5410734, 5410735, 5410736, 5410737, 5410738, 5410742, 5410739, 5410740, 5410824, 5410741.