Another severe weather episode moved across the forecast area producing widespread flooding and hail across most of the counties served. A few high wind events were also noted.
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.
Another severe weather episode moved across the forecast area producing widespread flooding and hail across most of the counties served. A few high wind events were also noted. Several high water rescues were noted during this time frame as people would drive into water covered roads and their vehicle would become inundated with water before finally retiring. This caused for some consternation with local law and fire officials as they had to rescue the individuals from on top of their vehicle or in one instance they were clinging to a tree.
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 May 26, 5:23 AM CST, 4 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 623 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 .AVIATION... 12Z TAFS...THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL GOING EAST OF INTERSTATE 135 THIS MORNING...AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND EVENING AT ALL TAF SITES. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LAY ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH THE PERIOD. CONVECTION SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY EARLY MORNING...LEAVING VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD. SCHRECK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 335 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008/ DISCUSSION... TODAY-TONIGHT: RECORD IS GETTING OLD WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER BEHIND AND ANOTHER ONE ON THE HORIZON. OUTFLOW FROM CURRENT ROUND HAS PUSHED NEAR I-40 IN WESTERN OK. HOWEVER FLOW HAS ALREADY TURNED BACK TO THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY...SO GOOD POTENTIAL FOR MOISTURE TO FLY BACK NORTH ONCE AGAIN. AM A BIT CONCERNED THAT ELEVATED PRECIPITATION WILL BREAK OUT ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF FORECAST AREA THROUGH 1500 UTC...BUT WILL ONLY KEEP SLIGHT CHANCES FOR THAT. MAIN SHOW ANTICIPATED TO START THIS AFTERNOON AS DECENT SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY IN SOUTHERN ROCKIES EJECTS ACROSS PLAINS LATER TODAY. SO IT APPEARS THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER OF SEVERE STORMS INITIATING MOST LIKELY SOMEWHERE IN CENTRAL KS AND PROPAGATING SOUTHEAST DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNGT HOURS...NOT ALL THAT UNLIKE WHAT HAPPENED SUN EVENING...EXCEPT WITH BETTER UPPER SUPPORT. BASED ON UNCERTAINTY WHERE STORMS WOULD INITIATE...OPTED TO HOLD OFF ON THE FLOOD WATCH FOR NOW. TUE-WED: COURSE CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY WITH FORECAST...WITH EVERYTHING DEPENDENT ON HOW THINGS WILL PLAY OUT ON MON/MON NIGHT. ONE THING THAT IS INTERESTING IS DECENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN OLD EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MEDIUM RANGE WEATHER FORECASTS MODEL/GLOBAL FORECAST SYSTEM MODEL THAT COLDER AIR WILL BE OVERSPREADING THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON TUE...WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN PLACE BY WED. THIS LEAVES A RATHER LARGE BUST POTENTIAL FOR MAXES ON TUE. OPTED INCREASE GRADIENT IN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA ON TUE AND TRIM TEMPERATURES A TAD ON WED. MINOR TWEAKS TO REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST. -HOWERTON AVIATION... MAIN CONCERNS ONCE AGAIN THE DEALING WITH POTENTIAL FOR MVFRR CLOUDS TO DEVELOP IN MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW. STORMS WILL LIKELY AFFECT ALL AERODROME FORCAST SITES SOMETIME DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD...BUT DETAILS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN. -HOWERTON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 88 69 76 54 / 20 80 40 30 HUTCHINSON 87 65 70 52 / 30 80 30 20 NEWTON 86 66 73 52 / 30 80 40 30 ELDORADO 87 67 77 54 / 20 80 40 30 WINFIELD-KWLD 89 71 79 55 / 30 70 50 30 RUSSELL 78 55 61 48 / 50 80 20 20 GREAT BEND 82 55 62 50 / 50 80 20 20 SALINA 84 61 68 50 / 50 80 30 20 MCPHERSON 85 64 69 51 / 40 80 30 20 COFFEYVILLE 89 71 81 58 / 40 60 60 50 CHANUTE 88 70 80 56 / 40 70 50 40 IOLA 88 69 79 55 / 40 70 50 40 PARSONS-KPPF 88 72 81 57 / 40 70 60 50 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 539 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-271045- 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- 539 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING MAY OCCASIONALLY BE STRONG...BUT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON IN CENTRAL KANSAS...THEN TRAVERSE THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THE INITIAL THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES...MAINLY NORTH OF A KINGMAN TO ELDORADO TO EUREKA LINE. THE STORMS WILL LIKELY TRANSITION INTO A LINE DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. IF IT BECOMES MORE CERTAIN THAT THE RICH MOISTURE WILL REACH THE FRONT AND COMBINE WITH AFTERNOON SUNSHINE...THE THREAT FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER WILL GREATLY INCREASE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN COULD ALSO LEAD TO SOME FLOODING...ESPECIALLY OVER AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN HAS OCCURRED OVER THE WEEKEND. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AGAIN ON TUESDAY. THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM EUREKA TO ELDORADO TO WELLINGTON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE EXTENT AND MAGNITUDE OF THE SEVERE THREAT IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON WHAT HAPPENS MONDAY NIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT THE AREA STARTING FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND. LATER OUTLOOKS WILL CONTAIN MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK LATER WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. IF YOU HAVE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY...MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO WATCHES AND WARNINGS...AND PLAN OF WHAT YOU WILL DO IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS... AND OVER THE ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON TUESDAY. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP HOWERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 736 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ094-095-098-099-261330- CHAUTAUQUA-ELK-MONTGOMERY-WILSON- 736 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CHAUTAUQUA...ELK...MONTGOMERY AND WILSON COUNTIES... AT 731 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SEVERY TO CANEY... AND MOVING EAST AT 26 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. SCHRECK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 752 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ053-261300- CHASE- 752 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CHASE COUNTY... AT 748 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES EAST OF MATFIELD GREEN...OR 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COTTONWOOD FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 41 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. SCHRECK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 831 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ053-261400- CHASE- 831 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CHASE COUNTY... AT 829 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF MATFIELD GREEN...OR 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COTTONWOOD FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 32 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. KETCHAM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 839 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ099-261415- MONTGOMERY- 839 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY... AT 834 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HALE...OR 15 MILES EAST OF SEDAN...AND MOVING EAST AT 33 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. KETCHAM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 919 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ099-261445- MONTGOMERY- 919 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY... AT 915 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DEARING...OR 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF COFFEYVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 27 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. KETCHAM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 948 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 KSZ095-261515- WILSON- 948 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WILSON COUNTY... AT 943 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FREDONIA...OR 21 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHANUTE...AND MOVING EAST AT 32 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. KETCHAM
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:27 UTC.
42 hail, 14 flood, 10 flash flood, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread minor flooding of county roads and those in Eureka.
Minor street flooding is occurring in Independence.
Street flooding occurred in town with several creeks in the vicinity running at bank full as well.
Two water rescues were conducted in Coffeyville while many city roads were closed in Independence due to high water.
Minor flooding was reported over several county roads. Just over 5 and a half inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period at Bartlett.
Street flooding was reported in the city.
Reported by KAKE channel 10.
Reported by KSN channel 3.
This was reported near the intersection of Harry and Oliver.
KWCH channel 12 relayed the report from Pawnee and 47th street.
Reported at 31st and Meridian.
Reported by KAKE channel 10.
Reported by KAKE channel 10.
Reported by an off duty NWS employee near the intersection of Hillside and Douglas.
Reported by KWCH channel 12 at 9th and Armour.
Water was reported over the road at many locations.
Reported by KWCH channel 12.
Spillman creek was reported to be out of its banks.
Six to seven inches of water was reported over Highway 81.
Flooding on Highway 166 near 11th street.
Reported near the intersection of 80th and Springdale.
The two creeks that converge near Buckeye Creek are out of their banks. Several streets in Coffeyville are also covered in water.
A semi tractor trailer was over turned on the Kansas Turnpike near mile marker 24. Several flags were blown down that were used for the Memorial Day celebration.
Fifty five mile per hour winds were also reported.
Reported at 135th and Maple streets.
Reported neat the intersection of 119th and Central.
Reported at the intersection of 119th and Pawnee.
Six inches of water was covering the road about one half mile south of the Maize and Central intersection.
KSN channel 3 reported the hail at the intersection of Macarthur and Hydraulic.
Reported near the intersection of 47th and Clifton. Fifty mph winds also occurred at this location.
Penny sized hail also occurred with the high winds.
Widespread flooding was reported across all of the metropolitan Wichita area. Several roads had been barricaded.
Seven to 8 inches of water was covering the road for about one half mile at the intersection of Indianola and 170th. A water rescue also occurred in the 16000 block of SW 200th.
The roads around Belle Plaine once again became covered in water due to a second batch of heavy rains that moved across the area.
Avenue G and Buhler rd. have been barricaded. The intersection of K14 and 4th street have also been barricaded.
Minor flooding at various locations across southeast parts of the county.
Several county roads were reported under water.
Dry creek was reported out of its banks.
Three persons were rescued from a vehicle caught in high water at the intersection of 135th street west and 21st street north.
A creek was out of its banks along the Kansas Turnpike and the water level was nearing the shoulder of the highway.
A water rescue occurred where Highway 400 crossed over the Verdigris River. The person clung to a tree in the river until help arrived. The flood waters also washed out some railroad tracks.
High water was reported near Shaw as the creek was out of its banks.
A water rescue occurred on the Verdigris river due to a person being caught in a vehicle.
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: 106089, 106116, 106268, 106108, 106094, 106229, 106073, 106074, 106177, 106087, 106075, 106076, 106081, 106088, 106183, 106184, 106082, 106179, 106185, 106084, 106188, 106187, 106189, 106236, 106080, 106085, 106100, 106195, 106098, 106196, 106092, 106096, 106086, 106228, 106155, 106156, 106158, 106079, 106243, 106159, and more.