Several small severe thunderstorms, spawned several brief tornadoes|over parts of east central Kansas, during the late afternoon and early|evening hours of Friday, September 12, 2008. Most of the tornadoes were|observed in open country and caused no damage.
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 EAX wrote it up.
Several small severe thunderstorms, spawned several brief tornadoes|over parts of east central Kansas, during the late afternoon and early|evening hours of Friday, September 12, 2008. Most of the tornadoes were|observed in open country and caused no damage. However, one did cause|some minor house damage near Desoto Kansas. All of the tornadoes were|classified as EF0. Heavy rains also caused flash flooding in Leavenworth|county.
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 Kansas City, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 12, 2:44 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
344 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
.DISCUSSION...
WELL...ITS STILL RAINING. PRECIP SHIELD NOW GRADUALLY LIFTING AND
FOCUSING MORE ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON AS UPPER
LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH BEGINS TO SHIFT INTO THE EASTERN ROCKIES.
ISENTROPIC LIFT HAS BECOME MORE FOCUSED ACROSS NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI
THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY ALONG A STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY STRETCHED
FROM NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI AND INTO
SOUTHWESTERN IOWA. EXPECTING THE MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIP TO PERSIST
ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS AND NORTHWEST TO NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI
THROUGH THE NIGHT TONIGHT WHERE STRONGER ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL
REMAIN MORE FOCUSED.
IN RESPONSE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED APPROACHING SHORT WAVE
TROUGH...SFC LOW HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL
KANSAS...GRADUALLY LIFTING NORTHEAST INTO NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI. A
WARM FRONT HAS SHARPENED ATTENDANT TO THE AFOREMENTIONED SFC LOW
STRETCHED FROM NEAR EMPORIA EASTWARD TO JUST SOUTH OF CLINTON. SOUTH
OF THE FRONT...ABUNDANT HEATING HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH TEMPS NOW INTO
THE UPPER 80S ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS INTO SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI.
IN COMBINATION WITH SFC DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO MID
70S...SBCAPE VALUES HAVE CLIMBED IN THE 1000-2000 J/KG RANGE SOUTH
OF THE WARM FRONT. SCATTERED CU HAVE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR
AND ANY REMAINING INHIBITION IS QUICKLY ERODING THIS AFTERNOON.
EXPECTING SCATTERED CONVECTION TO DEVELOP AND LIFT NORTH WITH TIME
INTO SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. STRONG TURNING IN THE LOWEST FEW
KM HAS RESULTED IN INCREASING HELICITY VALUES...IE 0-1KM SRH OF
150-200 M2/S2. AS SEEN YESTERDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI...THE MORE
ROBUST CONVECTION WILL BE CAPABLE OF OBTAINING MINI-SUPERCELL
CHARACTERISTICS. THE MAIN THREATS WITH THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE ISOLATED
TORNADOES AS LCL HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN LOW COUPLED WITH STEEPENING LLVL
LAPSE RATES...INCREASING SFC VORTICITY GENERATION...AND THE
AFOREMENTIONED LLVL HELICITY VALUES. WITH FREEZING LEVELS REMAINING
AROUND 14KFT AND EQUILIBRIUM LEVELS ONLY AROUND -10C...NOT EXPECTED
HAIL TO BE AN ISSUE. THIS ACTIVITY IS NOT EXPECTED TO PERSIST BEYOND
AROUND SUNSET WHEN THE LOST OF DAYTIME HEATING WILL RESULT IN THE
LOST OF STEEPER LLVL LAPSE RATES.
EXPECTING THE PRECIP SHIELD TO CONTINUE TO NARROW THIS AFTERNOON AS
UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTHEASTWARD. THE
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE FEED FROM THE REMNANTS OF TD LOWELL WILL IN
ESSENCE BECOME PINCHED OFF DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE SHORT
WAVE LIFTS AND HURRICANE IKE CONTINUES TO THE NORTHWEST. THIS SHOULD
RESULT IN ACTIVITY BECOMING DEFINED ALONG THE SFC BOUNDARY WHICH
WILL BE STRETCHED INITIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI TONIGHT.
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL THEN SLIDE SOUTHEASTWARD TOMORROW SHIFTING THE
PRECIP CHCS WITH IT. RAIN CHCS WILL THEN BECOME MORE FOCUSED ACROSS
THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE CWA BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. NORTH OF THIS
BOUNDARY...ISENTROPIC DOWNGLIDE WILL RESULT IN A DIMINISHING TREND
TO THE ONGOING PRECIP.
ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO HURRICANE IKE AS IT MAKES THE TURN TO THE
NORTHEAST. THE LATEST TRACK FROM THE NHC BRINGS THE REMNANTS INTO
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI BY SUNDAY. THIS WILL PLACE
CENTRAL MISSOURI IN THE PATH OF THE HEAVIER PRECIP SHIELD DURING
THIS TIME FRAME. PAINTED CATEGORICAL POPS ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN
HALF OF THE CWA FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE
EXPECTED RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH IKE. AN ADDITIONAL 2-3 INCHES OF
RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE BY THE TIME ALL IS SAID AND DONE.
THEREFORE...HAVE EXTENDED THE FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 00Z MONDAY.
DEROCHE
MEDIUM RANGE (MONDAY-FRIDAY)...
AFTER A WET WEEKEND...AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRYING WILL BE ON TAP
FOR THE FORECAST AREA IN THE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TIME PERIOD.
CONSENSUS OF NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN OPERATIONAL AND ENSEMBLE
MODELS IS TO BUILD H5 HEIGHTS ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST FOR
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY TIMEFRAME...BEFORE HEIGHTS BEGIN TO FLATTEN
AS A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES TRAVERSE ZONAL FLOW ACROSS CANADA. NAEFS
SHOWING A LITTLE FLY IN THE OINTMENT BY MAINTAINING WEAKNESS OVER
THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY...LIKELY THE REMNANTS OF IKE...WHICH COULD
LIMIT THE INFLUENCE OF THE BUILDING RIDGE INTO OUR FORECAST
AREA...AND LATER SHIFTS WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER. NONETHELESS..DUE TO
COPIOUS RAINFALL EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND...SATURATED SOILS AND HIGH
EVAPORTRANSPORATION WILL LIMIT WARM-UP. GIVEN LIMITED MIXING WHILE
SURFACE HIGH IS PARKED OVER THE AREA...DECIDED TO TREND ONLY
SLIGHTLY TOWARD UPPER END OF ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE MONDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY TIME PERIOD. ON FRIDAY...RETURN FLOW AND POSSIBILITY OF
DEVELOPING BAROCLINIC ZONES ACROSS NORTHERN PLAINS...WILL ALLOW
INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND DEWPOINTS...THUS TRENDED TEMPERATURES
SLIGHTLY LOWER.
24
&&
.AVIATION...
PRECIP BECOMING MORE SCATTERED IN NATURE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF
HOURS NEAR KMCI AND KMKC. KSTJ REMAINS IN THE MORE PERSISTENT
RAINFALL AND THIS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
AFTERNOON. PRECIP WILL THEN BECOME MORE FOCUSED ACROSS NORTHWEST
MISSOURI OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER...EXPECT THE LOWER CIGS TO REMAIN ACROSS
THE TAF SITES.
DEROCHE
&&
.EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR MOZ001-MOZ002-MOZ003-MOZ004-
MOZ005-MOZ006-MOZ007-MOZ008-MOZ011-MOZ012-MOZ013-MOZ014-
MOZ015-MOZ016-MOZ017-MOZ020-MOZ021-MOZ022-MOZ023-MOZ024-
MOZ025-MOZ028-MOZ029-MOZ030-MOZ031-MOZ032-MOZ033-MOZ037-
MOZ038-MOZ039-MOZ040-MOZ043-MOZ044-MOZ045-MOZ046-MOZ053-
MOZ054.
KS...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR KSZ025-KSZ057-KSZ060-KSZ102-
KSZ103-KSZ104-KSZ105.HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 1258 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008 KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040- 043>046-053-054-131800- ATCHISON KS-MIAMI-LINN KS-DONIPHAN-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE- JOHNSON KS-ATCHISON MO-NODAWAY-WORTH-GENTRY-HARRISON-MERCER- PUTNAM-SCHUYLER-HOLT-ANDREW-DE KALB-DAVIESS-GRUNDY-SULLIVAN-ADAIR- BUCHANAN-CLINTON-CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-LINN MO-MACON-PLATTE-CLAY- RAY-CARROLL-CHARITON-RANDOLPH-JACKSON-LAFAYETTE-SALINE-HOWARD- CASS-JOHNSON MO-PETTIS-COOPER-BATES-HENRY- 1258 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA WITH AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS WILL LEAD TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING AS WELL AS RISES ON AREA RIVERS WITH RIVER FLOODING LIKELY. THE MOST LIKELY AREA TO EXPERIENCE HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A KANSAS CITY TO MACON LINE. OTHERWISE...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS TODAY AND WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE. WHILE OVERALL INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN QUESTIONABLE...SUFFICIENT SHEAR AND COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL MAKE ISOLATED TORNADOES A POSSIBILITY WITHIN THE STRONGER STORMS...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A KANSAS CITY TO MACON LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY BE ONGOING ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MISSOURI BY SATURDAY MORNING. AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA ON SATURDAY...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY. THE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE...BUT AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...THE FUTURE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS INTO SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI. THIS TRACK MAY PRODUCE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES FOR AREAS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM KANSAS CITY TO MOBERLY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A KANSAS CITY TO MACON LINE TODAY. SPOTTERS ARE ALSO URGED TO RELAY ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DEROCHE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
1139 AM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0945 AM FLASH FLOOD 1 SW FONTANA 38.42N 94.85W
09/12/2008 MIAMI KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
HIGH WATERS ON 391 ST AT HEDGE LN.
&&
ACHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
459 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0435 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 5 S KNOB NOSTER 38.70N 93.57W
09/12/2008 JOHNSON MO BROADCAST MEDIA
RELAYED REPORT FROM TELEVISION STATION. SOUTH OF WHITEMAN
AFB. TIME ESTIMATED.
&&
21The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:11 UTC.
5 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief EF0 tornado touchdown was observed at 1610CST, in an open field. A dust whirl was observed with no damage reported.
A brief tornado touchdown was reported at 1613CST, in an open field near 103RD and Sunflower Road. No damage was reported.
A brief EFO tornado was reported at 1625CST, around 2 miles east of Desoto. Minor damage was reported to a residence near 83RD Street and Cedar Creek Road, with several large tree limbs snapped off as well.
A brief open field EF0 tornado was reported at 1629CST, 2 miles southwest of Bonner Springs. The tornado caused no damage.
A brief EFO tornado touchdown was reported at 1653CST, in an open field. No damage was observed.
Three feet of water was reported flowing across Route 5. A couple of cars were reported stranded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2008Warnings in Kansas, September 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: 134943, 134944, 134945, 134946, 134947, 134941.