Widespread early morning thunderstorms with attendant very heavy rain caused widespread flash flooding. The flash flooding gave way to more generalized flooding by late morning.
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.
Widespread early morning thunderstorms with attendant very heavy rain caused widespread flash flooding. The flash flooding gave way to more generalized flooding by late morning. Some of the flooding lasted for several days. Record flooding occurred in Osage county at the gage sites on Salt Creek near Lyndon and the Marais Des Cygnes near Quenemo.|This flooding brought local disaster emergency declarations for Riley and Dickinson counties. This action qualified those counties for state and federal aid. Jackson and Pottawatomie counties qualified for FEMA funds.
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 5, 3:29 PM CST, 9 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 429 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2007 .DISCUSSION... POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL HIGHLIGHTS THE SHORT TERM FORECAST. TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS SOUTHERN ROCKIES RESULTING IN DEVELOPMENT OF WEAK SURFACE LOW VICINITY OF NORTHEAST NM AND OK PANHANDLE. AN INVERTED TROUGH EXTENDS NORTHEAST FROM THE SURFACE LOW INTO NW KS AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA. ANOTHER MORE SUBTLE BOUNDARY IS ORIENTED NNW TO SSE FROM NEAR PTT TO CBK. 12Z NAM ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP CONVECTION TO NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY ACROSS CENTRAL KS IN WARM ADVECTION AREA. MCS RESULTING FROM THIS DEVELOPMENT IS THEN TAKEN SOUTH. 18Z NAM DOES SOMETHING SIMILAR DEVELOPING CONVECTION INTO CENTRAL KS BEFORE 06Z AND THEN SINKING SYSTEM SWD. 12Z GFS ON THE OTHER HAND DEVELOPS SYSTEM ACROSS NW KS WITH PROPAGATION/DEVELOPMENT EWD ACROSS NORTHERN KS OVERNIGHT. THIS IS MORE IN LINE WITH GOING FORECAST...AND 00Z MODEL RUNS...AND THUS HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH THIS SCENARIO FOR TIMING AND POPS. IN THIS CASE...MAIN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL WOULD BE LATE THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL KS...WITH HEAVY RAIN/HAIL AND MAYBE WINDS AS THE MAIN THREATS. DETERMINISTIC RUNS FROM 12Z NAM AND GFS DIFFER SOMEWHAT ON PRECIP TIMING/CHANCES SATURDAY...BUT MAIN MESSAGE FOR OUR AREA WAS THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION OVER CENTRAL KS LATE AFTERNOON EARLY EVENING...THEN MOVING EAST. GOING TEMPERATURE FORECAST TONIGHT AND SATURDAY IS VERY NEAR STATISTICAL GUIDANCE FROM GFS/NAM AND ONLY MODIFIED THEM A LITTLE. TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER EASTERN KS SATURDAY MAY NECESSITATE A WIND ADVISORY...BUT WILL LEAVE THAT TO LATER SHIFTS. SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...THE MAIN 5H TROUGH OVER CO AND NM WILL LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY. ONCE AGAIN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG THE DRYLINE/PACIFIC FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL KS AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA DURING EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WILL DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY THAT CAN DEVELOP AFTER THE STORMS SUNDAY MORNING. IF WE DO CLEAR OUT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS MLCAPE COULD INCREASE ABOVE 2500 J/KG BY EARLY EVENING ALONG WITH IMPRESSIVE VERTICAL WINDSHEAR PROFILES THAT MAY ALLOW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE EVENING HOURS. DURING SUNDAY NIGHT NIGHT AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF MONDAY WE MAY SEE SEVERAL SQUALL LINES OR LINE SEGMENTS OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. THIS COULD LEAD TO WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH THE PRIMARY HAZARD BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING OUTFLOW WINDS...THOUGH ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING. HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL BE COOLER WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S DUE TO CLOUD COVER AND A CHANCE OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE DAY. MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...A SECONDARY 5H TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHWEST US WILL SLOWLY LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE UPPER WIND FIELDS ARE FORECASTED TO BE WEAKER...THUS THE VERTICAL WINDSHEAR MAY NOT SUPPORT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ALSO CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP THE INSTABILITY LOWER. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL. WE MAY SEE A GOOD TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...ACROSS THE CWA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...LONGER RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A 5H RIDGE SLOWLY MOVING EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS. LOOK FOR HIGHS TO WARM INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S...WITH MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT...GENERALLY FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 35. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM FOR KSZ008>010-020>022-034>036. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1007 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2007 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-062300- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 1007 PM CDT SAT MAY 5 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO THE LATE NIGHT HOURS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORMS AS WELL...CREATING SOME PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND AT INTERSECTIONS. ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WERE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE ACROSS THE SAME AREAS...LOCAL AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING MAY DEVELOP...AND BRING RISES ON SOME CREEKS AND STREAMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLOODING RAINS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER ONE INCH TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1244 AM CDT SUN MAY 06 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1230 AM TSTM WND GST CLYDE 39.59N 97.40W
05/06/2007 E70 MPH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER RELAYING REPORT FROM ANOTHER SPOTTER LOCATED IN
THE CITY OF CLYDE.
&&
BYRNEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1247 AM CDT SUN MAY 06 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1220 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 SE LONGFORD 39.16N 97.32W
05/06/2007 CLAY KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER POLES REPORTED SNAPPED ON CHEROKEE ROAD.
&&
BYRNEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1255 AM CDT SUN MAY 06 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1140 PM TORNADO 2 NNE BENNINGTON 39.06N 97.58W
05/05/2007 OTTAWA KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
*** 4 INJ *** DAMAGE TO FOUR HOMES. POWER LINES DOWN.
&&
STARKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
143 AM CDT SUN MAY 06 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM TSTM WND DMG WASHINGTON 39.82N 97.05W
05/06/2007 WASHINGTON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DAMAGE ACROSS THE COUNTY INCLUDING
POWER POLES SNAPPED, TREES DOWN, ROOFS LIFTED OFF
BUILDINGS, HEAVY EQUIPMENT DAMAGED, AND ROADS BLOCKED.
&&
BYRNEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
149 AM CDT SUN MAY 06 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0144 AM TSTM WND GST 4 S MARYSVILLE 39.78N 96.65W
05/06/2007 M63 MPH MARSHALL KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
POLICE OFFICER MEASURED A 63 MPH WIND GUST ON HIS
STATIONARY RADAR.
&&
BYRNESIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 206 AM CDT SUN MAY 6 2007 KSZ022-036-060800- GEARY-RILEY- 206 AM CDT SUN MAY 6 2007 THROUGH 300 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF RILEY AND GEARY COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL. SOME COMMUNITIES THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE OGDEN... KEATS AND MANHATTAN. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 294 AND 312 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. STAY ALERT TO THE WEATHER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:07 UTC.
16 flash flood, 6 flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Reports of three feet of water running across roads in the town of Solomon. Also, a report of 1 to 2 feet of water cross highway 40 at Daisy road.
Reports of three feet of water running across roads in the town of Solomon. Also, a report of 1 to 2 feet of water cross highway 40 at Daisy road.
Several Reports of flash flooding. 6 to 8 inches of water was flowing over Granite Road between 170th and 180th Roads. 4 inches of water flowing over 160th Road near K-106 Highway. One house was flooded.
Several reports of minor street flooding but one road was reported completely under water.
Report of water flowing over highway 77/177 at Mill Creek. In the 7000 block of Anderson Street water was flowing over the road.
Water over many rural roads due to heavy rainfall.
Hiawatha had report of flooding of city streets. One resident has house flooded out and is being evacuated by city workers. Unofficial reports of 6 to 8 inches of rain with a few rural roads damaged by flash flooding. Flash flooding also severely damaged a low water impoundment dam on the Kickapoo Indian Reservation that is vital to their water supply. Total damage to the dam was estimated at 1.5 million dollars.
Solomon River is out of banks. Road between Solomon and Abilene impassable. Smoky Hill river at Enterprise floods. Sandbagging is done in the cities of Abilene, Chapman and Solomon due to flooding along the Solomon and Smoky Hill Rivers.
Flash flooding from over 5 inches of rain closed a number of county roads. A locomotive fell through a trestle that collapsed after being weakened by the flooding on Ft. Riley. No one on the train was injured.
Water starting to cover road K30.
Water flowing across Auburn Road from the town of Auburn to 61st Street. Debris is floating across the road. Many county roads flooded south of 61st street between Urish and Hoch roads. Water flowing over Northeast 64th and Meriden streets. Cars stalled on Topeka Blvd between 42nd and 45th streets. Shunganunga Creek out of its banks at Duncan Ct. and Gage near 25th Street. Six inches of water flowing over Kansas Ave. between 29th and 21st streets.
Water two feet deep running over Reservation Dr. near Keats with some home affected and county roads closed. K-114 near Ogden has water flowing across all four lanes. The town of Ogden had substantial flooding with over 30 structures damaged and a number of families evacuated. Wildcat Creek in out of it's banks in Manhattan with floating metal trash dumpsters noted. Some apartments near the creek are being evacuated. Mobile homes near the creek also are flooded. At least 93 residences in Manhattan were affected.
Three to three and a half inches of rain fell during the morning hours. This rain falling on saturated soils brought some small steam flooding along with street flooding in and around Lebo.
Eight inches of water across road.
Reported water flowing over Highway 24 east of the junction with highway 59.
Water reported flowing over 23rd and Ousdahl roads in town. Officials reportedly putting up barricades around this intersection.
Bridge was reported washed out on a country road near Burlingame.
Water over roads near Meriden and Oskaloosa. 10 inches of water over roadway at 102nd and Osage. 8 to 12 inches of water over roadway at 54th and Clark.
Two to four feet of water over eight mile road north of Harveyville.
Prairie Creek over road at 50th St. Water over the road at 27th and KOA. A few evacuations taking place in Grantville. A fan boat was used to aid in the evacuation effort. Highway 24 along with a few other county roads were flooded and closed.
Nearly all streets heading both into and out of Burlingame are water covered and impassable. Several water rescues were performed. Roads were barricaded to prevent citizens from driving through the flooded roadways. The Burlingame post office was inundated with water, mud and worms. Two water rescues were made in Osage City. Water near Dragoon Creek flowing over highway 56 at least a mile wide. Public reports the highway 56 bridge was vibrating due to the force of the flowing water. Unofficial reports of 5 to 11 inches of rain in the county. Many federal, state and county highways flooded or closed. Record moderate or greater flooding on Salt Creek near Lyndon and near Quenemo on the Marais Des Cygnes river.
Street flooding of roads along Soldier Creek. Moderate or greater flooding immediate reach of river vicinity of Delia.
Moderate or greater flooding along the Solomon River. Widespread flooding of roads vicinity of the river near Niles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, May 2007
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: 31347, 34744, 31348, 31351, 31352, 33802, 31355, 31373, 33721, 31356, 31357, 31370, 38239, 31361, 31364, 31365, 31366, 31367, 31369, 31377, 31374, 31375, 34845.