Thunderstorm Wind, Bourbon
- When
- October 17, 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Bourbon County, 2.77 mi N of Devon
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 37.960, -94.820
Damaging Winds in Kansas, October 17, 2007
A line of intense thunderstorms tracked across extreme southeast Kansas producing straight line wind gusts up to 85 mph. The hardest hit area was the city of Baxter Springs.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $225,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS SGF wrote it up.
A line of intense thunderstorms tracked across extreme southeast Kansas producing straight line wind gusts up to 85 mph. The hardest hit area was the city of Baxter Springs. Residential areas in the south and east sections of the city were heavily damaged from these straight line winds.
What forecasters said that day
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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 17, 12:27 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 17, 12:27 PM CST, 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 127 PM CDT WED OCT 17 2007 .DISCUSSION... SEVERE WEATHER REMAINS A GOOD BET LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...MAINLY BEFORE 3 AM. THERMODYNAMICS REMAIN VARIABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WITH INDICES ACTUALLY INCREASING DURING THE EVENING HOURS. AFTER TONIGHT...MUCH CALMER WEATHER WILL DEVELOP...HOWEVER GUSTY SURFACE WINDS WILL LIKELY INCREASE FROM THE WEST AND NORTHWEST ON THURSDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES NORTHEAST OF THE REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY RISE ACROSS WESTERN MISSOURI AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS BEFORE NOON THURSDAY...THEN REMAIN STREADY OR SLOWLY FALL AS CLOUD COVER AND STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION BEGINS TO SPREAD ACROSS THE OZARKS. THE EASTERN OZARKS WILL LIKELY RISE INTO THE 70S WITH A FEW 80S POSSIBLE IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI WHERE A POCKET OF WARMER AIR WILL RESIDE THROUGH THE DAY. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL BE A TRANSITION FROM COOLER AIR TO MUCH WARMER AIR AS A RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S. 92/85H WILL LIKELY RISE INTO THE TEENS WHICH WILL PROVIDE SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S AND LOWER 80S. SUNDAY MAY GET ANOTHER VERY WARM DAY BUT THIS DEPENDS UPON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER AND TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT. PREVIOUS EXTENDED FORECAST MODELS HAVE NOT BEEN CONSISTENT IN THE MID/LONG TERM RANGE WHICH REMAINS A PROBLEM WITH TIMING AND THE OVERALL EXTENT OF THE COLD AIR ADVECTING SOUTHWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK. ALTHOUGH THE GFS ENSEMBLES REMAIN THE FAVORITE WITH THE MEAN UPPER AIR FLOW...DIFFERENCES ARISE IN SURFACE CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT WHICH MAY WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY EVENING. HAVE CONTINUED TO LEAN TOWARD HPC GUIDANCE...BUT HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS WITH THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AND HOW LONG IT WILL REMAIN WITH THIS TYPE OF PATTERN. ANYWAY...CONFIDENCE AFTER SUNDAY REMAINS VERY LOW WITH ANY ONE SOLUTION. JLT && .AVIATION... FOR THE 18Z TAF CYCLE...IFR CEILINGS STILL PRESENT ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA WITH BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS OCCURRING OVER WESTERN SECTIONS. BREAKS WILL HELP DESTABILIZE ATMOSPHERE THIS AFTERNOON AND COULD START PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS A LITTLE SOONER THAN EXPECTED. THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL EXIST ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS THROUGH ABOUT 04-06Z AND ACROSS EASTERN SECTIONS FROM ABOUT 20-08Z WITH IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN AND NEAR STORMS. WITH THE STRONG LOW LEVEL JET...WILL MENTION LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AFTER 00Z. GAEDE && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. && WFO SGF
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 17, 11:23 AM CST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 1223 PM CDT WED OCT 17 2007 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-181730- BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON- ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS- LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON- LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE- TANEY-OZARK-OREGON- 1223 PM CDT WED OCT 17 2007 ...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT WITH THE POSSIBILITY FOR STRONG TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED: POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR STRONG AND LONG TRACKED TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH...AND LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS. AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING: SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 65 FROM MID TO LATE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA FROM LATE EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HOWEVER...THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE AREA. DISCUSSION: A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE PLAINS. BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST MISSOURI EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ARE HELPING TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. THE PRESENCE OF DEEP LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND STRONG WINDS AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL ALLOW ROTATING SUPERCELLS TO FORM ACROSS THIS AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL WAVE AND ASSOCIATED JET STREAM ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO SOUTH DAKOTA BY THURSDAY MORNING. AS THIS SYSTEM APPROACHES THE AREA THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL EXIST ACROSS THE AREA. DISCRETE ROTATING SUPERCELLS WILL PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG AND LONG TRACK TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP IN THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY BRINGING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA LATE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF(ALL LOWERCASE) GAEDE
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Oct 17, 9:45 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 1045 AM CDT WED OCT 17 2007 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055-066>068-077>079-088>090-093>095-101>104- 172300- BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-VERNON-ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-BARTON- CEDAR-POLK-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-NEWTON-LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-MCDONALD- BARRY-STONE-TANEY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT SCOTT...PITTSBURG... BAXTER SPRINGS...COLUMBUS...WARSAW...COLE CAMP...NEVADA... APPLETON CITY...OSCEOLA...HERMITAGE...LAMAR...EL DORADO SPRINGS... STOCKTON...BOLIVAR...JOPLIN...CARTHAGE...GREENFIELD... SPRINGFIELD...NEOSHO...AURORA...MOUNT VERNON...NIXA...OZARK... ANDERSON...PINEVILLE...MONETT...CASSVILLE...KIMBERLING CITY... GALENA...BRANSON...FORSYTH 1045 AM CDT WED OCT 17 2007 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 709 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN KANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS BOURBON CHEROKEE CRAWFORD IN MISSOURI THIS WATCH INCLUDES 17 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MISSOURI BENTON HICKORY ST. CLAIR IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI BARRY BARTON CEDAR CHRISTIAN DADE GREENE JASPER LAWRENCE MCDONALD NEWTON POLK STONE TANEY VERNON THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...ANDERSON...APPLETON CITY...AURORA... BAXTER SPRINGS...BOLIVAR...BRANSON...CARTHAGE...CASSVILLE... COLE CAMP...COLUMBUS...EL DORADO SPRINGS...FORSYTH...FORT SCOTT... GALENA...GREENFIELD...HERMITAGE...JOPLIN...KIMBERLING CITY... LAMAR...MONETT...MOUNT VERNON...NEOSHO...NEVADA...NIXA... OSCEOLA...OZARK...PINEVILLE...PITTSBURG...REPUBLIC... SPRINGFIELD...STOCKTON AND WARSAW. JLT
The radar
The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:00 UTC.
Event by event
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Bourbon
- When
- October 17, 1:35 PM CST
- Where
- Bourbon County, 4.29 mi SE of Devon
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 37.876, -94.764
Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee
- When
- October 17, 4:20 PM CST
- Where
- Cherokee County, 1.1 mi W of West Mineral
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 37.280, -94.940
Straight line winds destroyed a barn along with downing power poles and numerous trees.
Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford
- When
- October 17, 7:20 PM CST
- Where
- Crawford County, Cherokee
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 37.350, -94.820
A tree was blown down onto a parked fire truck.
Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee
- When
- October 17, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cherokee County, Baxter Spgs
- Measured
- 74 kt (85 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 37.020, -94.730
A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that residential sections of southern and eastern Baxter Springs were heavily damaged by straight line winds. Numerous large trees were blown over onto houses and parked vehicles. The Sonic resturant was heavily damaged along with the rodeo grounds.
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, October 17, 2007
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Missouri, October 17 to 18, 2007
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, October 17 to 18, 2007
- High Surf in California, October 17 to 22, 2007
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, October 17 to 18, 2007
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, October 17 to 18, 2007
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, October 17, 2007
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, October 17 to 18, 2007
- Tornadoes in Louisiana, October 17, 2007
- Flood and Hail in Kansas, October 17, 2007
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, October 17 to 18, 2007
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, October 17, 2007
More
Every storm in Kansas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, October 2007
Sources
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 61908, 61909, 61905, 61906, 61907.