5 tornado, 4 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 29, 12:41 PM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR WIND ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 141 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 .DISCUSSION... WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS NEG TILT UPPER TROUGH EXTENDING FROM WESTERN MT SOUTHEAST TO NORTHEAST NM. THE 17Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING NORTHEAST OF HILL CITY...KS WITH COLD FRONT EXTENDING NORTH THROUGH WESTERN NE AND A DRYLINE SOUTH INTO THE EASTERN TEXAS PNHDL. THE SHORT RANGE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT LIFTING THE 5H TROUGH NORTHEAST ACROSS THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THIS EVENING. INCREASING SYNOPTIC SCALE ASCENT AHEAD OF THE 5H WAVE...ALONG WITH SURFACE CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE AND COLD FRONT WILL CAUSE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AROUND OR JUST AFTER 21Z ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL KS AND SOUTH-CENTRAL NE. GIVEN AN ENVIRONMENT OF EXTREME INSTABILITY AND VERTICAL WINDHSEAR WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL QUICKLY BECOME SUPERCELLS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES. ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SURFACE DRYLINE BULGE...LOW-LEVEL WINDS ARE FORECASTED TO BACK DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE INTENSE VERTICAL WINDSHEAR MAY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG AND LONG TRACK TORNADOES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF THE FA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AFTER 00Z DISCRETE SUPERCELLS WILL DEVELOP DOWN THE DRYLINE. THESE SUPERCELLS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE AND COLD FRONT. EXPECT SOUTHERLY WINDS TO RANGE FROM 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. EVENTUALLY THE DISCRETE SUPERCELLS WILL EVOLVE INTO A SQUALL LINE AND MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES OF THE FA AROUND MIDNIGHT. THE VERTICAL WINDSHEAR PROFILES WILL CONTINUE THE THREAT FOR BOW ECHOS AND WITH MESOCYCLONES POSSIBLE NORTH OF THE OUTFLOW BOWS. THE NORTHEAST COUNTIES OF THE FA MAY GET SOME HEAVY RAINFALL THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THE RUC AND MESO ETA SHOWS THE GREATEST QPF NORTH IN EASTERN NE AND IA. I WILL HOLD OFF ON A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR JUST 3 COUNTIES IN MY NORTHEAST FA...SINCE MESOSCALE PROCESSES WILL GO ALONG WAY INTO DETERMINING ANY FLOODING THREATS. AFTER SUNRISE ON SUNDAY THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST OF THE FA. I KEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES DUE TO THE COLD CORE 5H TROUGH PASSING OVER HEAD. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WITH THE COLD POOL ALOFT FOR ISOLATED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST THE 5H TROUGH WILL BECOME A CLOSED LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKE STATES KEEPING KANSAS IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. A SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH MIDWEEK PROVIDING COOL AND DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH MID WEEK. A 5H RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS WILL EXPAND EAST TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. ANOTHER 5H TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BY THE END OF THE WEEK. ATTM IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL TRACK WELL TO OUR NORTH BUT MAY PROVIDE US A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY. && .TOP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KSZ008>012-020>024-034>038-054- WIND ADVISORY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A EMPORIA TO HIAWATHA LINE FOR THIS AFTERNOON. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 500 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-301000- 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 457 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE REGION UNTIL 10 PM CDT. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG TORNADOES. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER OR GREATER...WIND GUSTS OVER 70 MPH AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THOSE USING AREA RECREATIONAL LAKES AND ATTENDING OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES WILL NEED TO MONITOR WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL BROADCASTS FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. HAVE A PLAN FOR SEEKING SHELTER, KEEPING IN MIND THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND WILL MOVE NORTHEAST THIS EVENING. OTHER STORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
545 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0542 PM HAIL 3 W JAMESTOWN 39.60N 97.92W
05/29/2004 1.00 INCH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
551 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0550 PM TSTM WND GST 6 SW JAMESTOWN 39.54N 97.94W
05/29/2004 70 MPH MITCHELL KS TRAINED SPOTTER
BREAKING OFF TREE BRANCHES.
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
556 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0555 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 3 SW JAMESTOWN 39.57N 97.90W
05/29/2004 CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
558 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0557 PM TORNADO 3 SW JAMESTOWN 39.57N 97.90W
05/29/2004 CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
605 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0604 PM HAIL 3 W NORWAY 39.70N 97.83W
05/29/2004 1.00 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
612 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 3 W JAMESTOWN 39.60N 97.92W
05/29/2004 CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DSThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:22 UTC.
5 tornado, 4 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado touched down over open country southwest of Norway and traveled 1 mile before dissipating. A few trees were damaged.
A tornado touched down southwest of Norway and moved over 3 miles northeast before dissipating. Along the path of the tornado extensive damage was done, including significant crop damage. A number of power poles were downed. Many farm houses were severely damaged. Many farm implements and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Near Norway irrigation equipment was wrapped around a utility pole. In Norway a grain bin was blown over. Many homes in Norway sustained considerable damage. Many trees were downed along the tornado path.
A tornado touched down in rural areas northeast of Norway and traveled a short distance before dissipating. No damage was done.
Large hail struck Belleville doing some damage to roofs of homes and vehicles.
A tornado touched down over open country near Scandia and traveled 1 mile before dissipating.
A tornado touched down over open country north of Scandia and traveled 1 mile before dissipating.
A funnel cloud was sighted over Belleville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2004Warnings in Kansas, May 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: 5398002, 5397997, 5397995, 5397996, 5398003, 5398004, 5397998, 5397999, 5398000, 5398001.