Scattered, weak thunderstorms developed in the warm advection regime ahead of a surface cold front. The storms were not severe, but a teenage girl was injured when a lightning bolt struck near her home, entered the piping, and wounded her.
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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.
Scattered, weak thunderstorms developed in the warm advection regime ahead of a surface cold front. The storms were not severe, but a teenage girl was injured when a lightning bolt struck near her home, entered the piping, and wounded her.
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 10, 3:04 PM CST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 404 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 .DISCUSSION... LATEST WATER VAPOR SHOWING STRONG UPPER TROUGH MOVING RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL KS. UPPER WAVE IS SUPPORTING RAPID PUSH OF COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL KS. SFC LOW ALONG OK BORDER IS MOVING EASTWARD AND SHOULD TAKE MORE OF A NORTHEAST TURN THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS MO AS IT DEEPENS RAPIDLY. HIGHER INSTABILITY CONTINUES ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN CWA JUST NORTH OF WARM FRONT...BUT MUCH HIGHER STILL FURTHER SOUTH TOWARDS OK. STRONG DYNAMIC FORCING AND INSTABILITY WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE EASTERN 2/3 OF THE CWA AHEAD OF THE FRONT UNTIL 00Z. THIS SHOULD BE THE APPROXIMATE ENDING TIME OF SEVERE THREAT OVER THE SOUTHEAST CWA AS DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. WILL KEEP A MENTION OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING OVER THE EASTERN 2/3 OF THE CWA. AS THE STRONGER NORTHWEST GRADIENT DEVELOPS OVERNIGHT...EXPANDED THE WIND ADVISORY TO COVER ALL BUT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER WITH 850 WINDS INCREASING TO OVER 50KTS. GRADIENT DOES BEGIN TO RELAX A LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT AS LOW PULLS AWAY. EXPECT GUSTS WELL OVER 40 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF I 35. WILL KEEP LOWS TONIGHT IN THE UPPER 30S NORTHCENTRAL TO LOWER 40S ELSEWHERE. PRECIP OVER THE EAST WILL DECREASE THROUGH MIDNIGHT...BUT MAY LINGER OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST CORNER. SKIES SHOULD BEGIN TO CLEAR WEST TO EAST INTO SUNDAY MORNING. WILL KEEP HIGHS SUNDAY IN THE MID 60S WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS. SW SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...A 5H TROUGH WILL DIG SOUTHEAST FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE GREAT BASIN. A DOWNSTREAM 5H RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY OVER THE PLAINS ON MONDAY AND SHIFT EAST ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND MID MS RIVER VALLEY. THE SFC RIDGE WILL MOVE EAST OF THE CWA WHILE A LEE SFC TROUGH DEVELOPS ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. THE SFC WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY MONDAY MORNING AND INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONGER THROUGH THE NIGHT AS A LLJ DEVELOPS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS. DEEPER GULF MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO RETURN TO THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE NIGHT. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH ISENTROPIC LIFT FOR SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF THE CWA. HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL WARM INTO THE MID 70S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL ONLY DROP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 50S. TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...THE 5H TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG A COLD FRONT WHICH WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE MAY BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FOR A CHANCE OF SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD PUSH EAST OF THE CWA DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS BRINGING AN END TO THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS ON TUESDAY WILL BE DEPENDENT ON THE SPEED OF THE FRONT AND CLOUD COVER. ATTM I WENT WITH MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL COUNTIES AND MID 70S ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST COUNTIES. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...A SECOND 5H TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS TX AND REMAIN SOUTH WELL SOUTH OF THE CWA. THIS 5H TROUGH WILL MERGE WITH A SECONDARY 5H TROUGH DIGGING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE MID AND LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY. AS THE 5H TROUGHS PHASE THEY WILL AMPLIFY INTO A DEEPER LONGER WAVE TROUGH THAT WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EAST ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL CONUS. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH WRAP AROUND MOISTURE AND MINOR 5H DISTURBANCES ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER LOW TO PROVIDE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR THE EASTERN COUNTIES OF THE CWA. HIGHS WILL BE COOLER WITH MAINLY MID TO UPPER 60S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 40S. SATURDAY...THE 5H LOW OVER THE EAST CENTRAL CONUS MAY PUSH FAR ENOUGH EAST TO PROVIDE THE CWA WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND WARMER TEMPERATURES. HIGHS SHOULD WARM INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S. WG && .AVIATION... STRATUS WILL LINGER ACROSS THE TAF SITES...BUT WILL DECREASE IFR THUNDER CHANCES RAPIDLY BY 00Z AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST AND DRIER COOLER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE FRONT. WRAPAROUND STRATUS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW WILL BEGIN TO EXIT WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE TAF SITES AFTER 06Z. KEPT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES GOING BEYOND 09Z. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL LINGER THROUGH THE NIGHT...BUT DECREASE LATE AS GRADIENT SLOWLY DECREASES. SW && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH 700 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR KSZ040-KSZ054-KS055-KS056-KS059-KS059. WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 PM SATURDAY TO 4 AM SUNDAY FOR KSZ008- KSZ009-KSZ020-KSZ021-KSZ034-KSZ035. WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM SUNDAY FOR KSZ010-KSZ011-KSZ012-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ026-KSZ036-KSZ037- KSZ038-KSZ039-KSZ040-KSZ054-KS055. && SW/WG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1157 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-111700- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 1157 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT. GULF MOISTURE WILL MOVE NORTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA THE REMAINDER OF TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE SOUTH AND EAST OF A COUNCIL GROVE...TO MANHATTAN...TO HIAWATHA LINE. THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EAST AND SOUTH OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE COULD PRODUCE TORNADOES. THE STRENGTHENING SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL ALSO PRODUCE A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL RESULT IN WINDY CONDITIONS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT BEGINNING LATE THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY MORNING OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING AS A POTENT STORM SYSTEM EJECTS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS IN EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING.
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 454 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 KSZ026-039-102245- JEFFERSON-SHAWNEE- 454 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 THROUGH 545 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE EAST AT 33 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF SHAWNEE AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND HEAVY RAIN. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE NORTHERN TOPEKA...TECUMSEH... GRANTVILLE...MERIDEN...PERRY STATE PARK...OZAWKIE...PERRY...AND WILLIAMSTOWN. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 350 AND 355 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. STAY ALERT TO THE WEATHER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 503 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 KSZ054-102230- LYON- 503 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 THROUGH 530 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE EAST AT 44 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO PENNY SIZE HAIL...STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE EMPORIA...OLPE...NEOSHO RAPIDS AND HARTFORD. MOTORISTS ALONG THE KANSAS TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 117 AND 127 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 128 AND 143 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED.
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 529 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 KSZ056-059-102245- ANDERSON-FRANKLIN- 529 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008 THROUGH 6 PM CDT...A SMALL CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 38 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE RICHMOND...PRINCETON...RANTOUL...LANE AND GREELEY. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 173 AND 186 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:33 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A 15-year-old girl was struck by lightning when a bolt hit near her home, traveled through the steel plumbing, and into the shower nozzle. The girl was taking a shower at the time she was struck. A single indentation was evident on the girl's knee.
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, May 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: 102000.