Thunderstorms developed during the late evening hours of the 5th and continued into the early morning hours of the 6th. Many became severe with reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 episode as NWS TOP wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed during the late evening hours of the 5th and continued into the early morning hours of the 6th. Many became severe with reports of large hail and damaging winds. A tornado was also reported (listed separately). Heavy rains from the thunderstorms produced flash flooding in several locations.
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 Jul 6, 3:15 AM CST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 415 AM CDT WED JUL 6 2004 .DISCUSSION... THERE HAS BEEN NO BASIC CHANGE TO THE FORECAST PHILOSOPHY. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS LOOKS TO BE TONIGHT. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW STRONG WARM AIR AND MOISTURE ADVECTION WITH A SURFACE BOUNDARY OVER THE CWA. WILL STAY WITH POPS OF 30-40%. LATEST CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK HAS SLIGHT RISK FOR THE WHOLE CWA WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL LIKELY THE MAIN THREAT. THERE COULD BE SOME PRECIP LINGER INTO THE MORNING THURSDAY OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE CWA BUT EXPECT MOST OF THE PRECIP TO BE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. UNDER A SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW TODAYS HIGHS SHOULD REACH THE LOWER TO MID 80S...AND AROUND 90 FOR THURSDAY. FOR THE EXTENDED...WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS HELD BACK...AS IN PREVIOUS FORECAST...UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AND CONFINED TO THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF THE CWA. HAVE CONTINUED WITH SOME LOW CHANCE POPS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT...BUT TRIMMED BACK AREAL COVERAGE OF POPS FOR SUNDAY. UPPER RIDGING COMES INTO PLAY DURING THE WEEKEND AND THE ATMOSPHERE MAY BE CAPPED. STAYED WITH THE DRY FORECAST FOR SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY WITH CAPPING POSSIBILITY LIKELY IF GFS IS CORRECT. HAVE ALSO KEPT HIGHS IN THE LOWER AND MID 90S FOR FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. && .TOP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && 34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 909 PM CDT MON JUL 5 2004 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-061000- 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 909 PM CDT MON JUL 5 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE...WILL BE SPREADING FROM PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS INTO EAST CENTRAL KANSAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WIND GUSTS AROUND 70 MPH AND LARGE HAIL COULD ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. A FLOOD WATCH IS POSTED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS EAST CENTRAL KANSAS AND COULD STILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS BEFORE THEY COME TO AN END EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON TUESDAY. A FLOOD WATCH IS POSTED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL NOON TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE AGAIN POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES CONTINUE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TONIGHT...AND POSSIBLY EARLY TUESDAY MORNING OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. SPOTTERS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS GREATER THAN A HALF INCH. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/TOP (ALL LOWER CASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 325 AM CDT TUE JUL 6 2004 KSZ011-012-022>024-026-036>040-054>056-058-059-061300- ANDERSON-BROWN-COFFEY-DOUGLAS-FRANKLIN-GEARY-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LYON- MORRIS-NEMAHA-OSAGE-POTTAWATOMIE-RILEY-SHAWNEE-WABAUNSEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...EMPORIA...HIAWATHA...JUNCTION CITY... LAWRENCE...MANHATTAN...OTTAWA AND TOPEKA 325 AM CDT TUE JUL 6 2004 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 575 REMAINS IN EFFECT... THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... NEMAHA BROWN JACKSON RILEY POTTAWATOMIE JEFFERSON GEARY SHAWNEE WABAUNSEE DOUGLAS MORRIS OSAGE LYON FRANKLIN COFFEY ANDERSON SOME CITIES STILL IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH... EMPORIA OTTAWA LAWRENCE JUNCTION CITY TOPEKA MANHATTAN HIAWATHA
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
340 AM CDT TUE JUL 06 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0305 AM TSTM WND GST ADMIRE 38.64N 96.10W
07/06/2004 60 MPH LYON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0322 AM TSTM WND GST 3 W OSAGE CITY 38.63N 95.88W
07/06/2004 60 MPH OSAGE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
346 AM CDT TUE JUL 06 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0344 AM FLASH FLOOD ST. MARYS 39.19N 96.07W
07/06/2004 POTTAWATOMIE KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
WATER COVERING HWY 24
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
352 AM CDT TUE JUL 06 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 AM TSTM WND GST OSAGE CITY 38.63N 95.83W
07/06/2004 60 MPH OSAGE KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
413 AM CDT TUE JUL 06 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 AM TSTM WND GST 5 SE TOPEKA 39.00N 95.61W
07/06/2004 60 MPH SHAWNEE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SMBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
414 AM CDT TUE JUL 06 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0408 AM TSTM WND GST GRANTVILLE 39.08N 95.56W
07/06/2004 60 MPH JEFFERSON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
SMBThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rains produced flash flooding in Shawnee county. Water was reported flowing one and one half feet deep at the junction of highway 40 and Shawnee Heights road for a time. In the northwest part of the county water was reported 3 feet deep over Hall Road.
Heavy rains produced flash flooding in Douglas county. Water was reported flowing over 23rd Street in Lawrence. Numerous roads in the county were reported to have "very deep" water covering them.
Heavy rains produced flash flooding in southern Jefferson county. The junction of highways 24 and 59 near Williamstown was reported to be covered with water.
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: 5405159, 5405160, 5405161.