Areas of thunderstorms with heavy rain during the evening and overnight hours of July 29th produced localized relatively minor flooding across portions of southeast Kansas.
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 ICT wrote it up.
Areas of thunderstorms with heavy rain during the evening and overnight hours of July 29th produced localized relatively minor flooding across portions of southeast Kansas.
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 29, 10:55 PM CST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1155 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 .UPDATE... COUPLE OF UPDATES EARLIER THIS EVENING TO TWEAK PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION AND BETTER MATCH GOING OBSERVATIONS. LATER UPDATE TO TRIM BACK PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION IN THE WEST WHERE PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN ON THE WANE. -HOWERTON && .AVIATION... PRECIPITATION SHOULD END DURING THE NIGHT IN SOUTHEAST KS. REMOTE CHANCE OF A STRAY RAIN SHOWERS AT HUT/ICT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF UPPER LOW. MEANWHILE SOME PARTIAL CLEARING AND MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW WILL SET STAGE FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES CONDITIONS ACROSS MOST SITES. UNCLEAR WHETHER THERE WILL BE ENOUGH CLEARING TO PRODUCE FOG BEFORE STRATUS DEVELOPS. SHOULD SEE SOME BUILD DOWN OF STRATUS BASED ON NORTH AMERICAN MODEL SOUNDINGS. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE DURING THE MORNING AND VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED BY NOON. WITH LINGERING MOISTURE IN SOUTHEAST KS...OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT CNU COULD GET CLIPPED BY SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON...BUT THAT IS LOW CONFIDENCE AND ONLY WENT VCSH. -HOWERTON && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 710 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008/ AVIATION... 00Z TAFS...TOUGH AVIATION FORECAST WITH SCATTERED/NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SHOULD WANE THIS EVENING. CEILINGS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO DROP ACROSS CENTRAL KS AND SUSPECT TREND WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KS. SOME IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT SLN TOWARDS DAYBREAK. LOWER CONFIDENCE ON TIMING OF PRECIPITATION IN SOUTHEAST KS GIVEN NE TRACK OF REMNANT LOW. AT LEAST SOME CLEARING EXPECTED DURING THE DAY AT MOST LOCATIONS. -HOWERTON PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 527 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008/ UPDATE... MESOSCALE UPDATE: COMBO OF VERY IMPRESSIVE LOW LEVEL CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY...LARGE DIRECTIONAL SHEAR IN HILLSBORO PROFILER AND DEEP MOISTURE LEADING TO LOW LCL HEIGHTS ALL FAVORABLE FOR LOW TOPPED SUPERCELLS AND BRIEF TORNADO. GETTING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO CHECK FOR LOW LEVEL BOUNDARIES WHICH WILL LIKELY BE NECESSARY TO GET SOMETHING TO SPIN UP...BUT WITH PERSISTENT AND INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE ROTATION ON LOWEST SLICES...WARNING FOR CHASE/GREENWOOD COUNTIES WAS WARRANTED. -HOWERTON PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 202 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008/ DISCUSSION... TONIGHT-WED NIGHT: MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS ARE POTENTIAL FOR FEW STRONG STORMS INTO EARLY EVE...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY/WIND PROFILERS INDICATE SHORTWAVE TROF FROM WRN KS THRU WRN OK THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE AXIS COVERING OUR FORECAST AREA. SHOWERS/TS HAVE BECOME MORE SCATTERED IN OUR AREA THIS PM. THIS SHORTWAVE SHOULD GET DRAGGED EWD TONIGHT INTO WED BY EWD MOVING UPPER LOW JUST N OF MN. WHERE ANY POCKETS OF INSOLATION CAN OCCUR LATE THIS PM/EARLY EVE...CAPES COULD EXCEED 2500 J/KG WITH SUFFICIENT DIRECTIONAL SHEAR TO SUPPORT ISOLATED ORGANIZED STRONG STORMS WITH WET DOWNBURST POTENTIAL. 30-40 KT S-SWRLY LOW-LEVEL JET DEVELOPING TONIGHT WILL AIDE IN STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT/ISENTROPIC LIFT ACROSS S-CNTRL KS/FLINT HILLS/SERN KS. WITH PWS AROUND 2 INCHES IN THIS REGION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY. FOLLOWING HPC QPF OF 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES OF STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IN S-CNTRL/SERN KS. ACCORDING TO FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES...THE GROUND SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE UP TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL PROVIDED IT DOES NOT OCCUR IN LESS THAN A 3 HOUR PERIOD. SO NOT PLANNING FLOOD WATCH HEADLINES...BUT WILL CONTINUE MENTION OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN FORECAST. WILL CONTINUE CATEGORICAL POPS IN S-CNTRL/SERN KS TONIGHT...WITH POP EMPHASIS SHIFTING INTO SERN KS WED AND DIMINISHING FROM WEST TO EAST INTO WED EVE. MOST OF OUR AREA EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS A FEW COUNTIES IN CENTRAL KS WILL NOT GET OUT OF THE 80S WED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF RAINFALL...CLOUDS...LIGHT WINDS...AND WET SOILS. COULD BE PATCHY FOG IN CENTRAL KS LATE TONIGHT IF LAYERED CLOUDS DECREASE THERE. PATCHY FOG LOOKS MORE LIKELY AREAWIDE LATE WED NIGHT WITH CLEARING SKIES BEHIND DEPARTING SHORTWAVE...LIGHT WINDS AND WET SOIL. THURSDAY-TUESDAY: MAIN CHALLENGE DURING THIS TIMEFRAME WILL BE THE HEAT. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO PROG AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH BUILDING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS FROM THURSDAY INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT OUR AREA WILL EXPERIENCE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH MODERATE-HIGH HUMIDITY VALUES FOR MUCH OF THIS TIME PERIOD. CURRENT EXPECTED DEWPOINTS WOULD HAVE OUR AREA APPROACHING HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA FRIDAY THRU MONDAY...BUT NOT QUITE REACHING IT. THE MODELS SHOW AN UPPER LOW MOVING SLOWLY EWD ACROSS SRN CANADA THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS MAY ALLOW A COLD FRONT TO SLIDE SWD INTO CENTRAL KS BY LATE TUESDAY. SO HAVE INSERTED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF T-STORMS THERE FOR TUESDAY...OTHERWISE KEEPING A DRY FORECAST. JMC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 71 88 69 94 / 80 30 10 10 HUTCHINSON 70 89 69 95 / 60 10 10 10 NEWTON 70 88 70 93 / 80 20 10 10 ELDORADO 71 87 69 93 / 90 30 10 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 71 88 69 95 / 80 40 10 10 RUSSELL 67 90 67 97 / 30 10 10 0 GREAT BEND 68 90 67 97 / 30 10 10 0 SALINA 69 89 68 95 / 80 10 10 10 MCPHERSON 69 89 69 95 / 80 10 10 10 COFFEYVILLE 72 86 71 92 / 90 60 30 10 CHANUTE 72 85 70 91 / 90 60 20 10 IOLA 72 84 70 91 / 90 60 20 10 PARSONS-KPPF 72 85 71 92 / 90 60 30 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 302 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-302015- 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- 302 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS ANY AREAS THAT RECEIVE SUFFICIENT SUN AND HEATING. THE STRONG STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS...WITH THE MAIN HAZARD BEING HEAVY RAINFALL DUE TO A VERY MOIST AIRMASS OVER THE AREA. AS A RESULT...LOCALIZED FLOODING COULD OCCUR WITH THIS ACTIVITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER OVER SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS FOR WEDNESDAY. PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS COULD WITNESS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WEDNESDAY MORNING. FINALLY...HEAT INDICES ARE FORECAST TO CLIMB INTO THE 100 TO 105 DEGREE RANGE FOR THURSDAY THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. A FEW LOCATIONS COULD EXCEED 105 DEGREE HEAT INDICES. PLEASE WATCH FOR LATER FORECASTS...AS HEAT LEVELS MAY REACH THE DANGEROUS CATEGORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP JMC/CJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 946 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ094-098-099-300330- CHAUTAUQUA-ELK-MONTGOMERY- 946 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EASTERN CHAUTAUQUA...SOUTHEAST ELK AND WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTIES... AT 944 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF SEDAN...TO PERU...TO CANEY...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 23 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS UP TO 40 OR 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. KLEINSASSER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1000 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ094-098-099-300345- CHAUTAUQUA-ELK-MONTGOMERY- 1000 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR EASTERN CHAUTAUQUA...SOUTHEAST ELK AND NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY COUNTIES... AT 957 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES SOUTH OF ELK FALLS...TO HALE...TO HAVANA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 24 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. KLEINSASSER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1038 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ070>072-094>096-099-100-300545- ALLEN-ELK-GREENWOOD-LABETTE-MONTGOMERY-NEOSHO-WILSON-WOODSON- 1038 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ALLEN...ELK...GREENWOOD...LABETTE...MONTGOMERY... NEOSHO...WILSON AND WOODSON COUNTIES... AT 1034 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOODING WARNINGS...SHOULD THE RISK FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT. KLEINSASSER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1042 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1040 PM HEAVY RAIN SEDAN 37.13N 96.18W
07/29/2008 M1.31 INCH CHAUTAUQUA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED 1.31 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR.
&&
CDBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1118 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ071-072-096-100-300615- ALLEN-LABETTE-NEOSHO-WOODSON- 1118 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ALLEN...LABETTE...NEOSHO AND WOODSON COUNTIES... AT 1116 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS...SHOULD THE RISK FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. KLEINSASSER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1149 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 KSZ071-072-096-100-300545- ALLEN-LABETTE-NEOSHO-WOODSON- 1149 PM CDT TUE JUL 29 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ALLEN...LABETTE...NEOSHO AND WOODSON COUNTIES... AT 1148 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOODING WARNINGS...SHOULD THE RISK FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT. KLEINSASSER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway 160 near Oak Valley was barricaded due to water over the road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 2008
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: 125161.