Strong bow echo feature brought 70-80 mph winds into Manhattan Kansas, early on the morning of July 12. No reports of severe weather were received prior to the storm's entrance into Manhattan, but when the storm entered the city it caused tree and structure damage across a wide swath through the city.
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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.
Strong bow echo feature brought 70-80 mph winds into Manhattan Kansas, early on the morning of July 12. No reports of severe weather were received prior to the storm's entrance into Manhattan, but when the storm entered the city it caused tree and structure damage across a wide swath through the city.
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 Jul 12, 3:25 AM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 425 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 .DISCUSSION... WATER VAPOR AND PROFILERS SHOWING SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROUNDING THE RIDGE IN THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AND IS SUPPORTING AN MCS ACROSS NORTHERN KS WITH WELL DEFINED MCV ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE LINE OF STORMS. INSTABILITY AXIS AND CONVERGENCE WHICH HAS SET UP ACROSS THE NORTH INTO THE CWA SHOULD MAINTAIN THE MCS EASTWARD INTO THE CWA THROUGH SUNRISE...HOWEVER DECREASING ISENTROPIC LIFT WITH VEERING AND WEAKENING LLVL JET SUGGESTS POSSIBLE WEAKENING THEREAFTER AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE CWA. WILL GO WITH AREAL WORDING INITIALLY WITH A PRE 1ST PERIOD IN ZONES THEN CHANCE POPS AFTERWORDS WITH HOW SUSTAINED THE MCS WILL REMAIN IN QUESTION. EITHER WAY...MORE DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE SHORTWAVE ACROSS NE AND NORTHERN KS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL FAVOR THE NORTHEAST CWA WITH CONVERGENCE/ISENTROPIC LIFT AND INSTABILITY AXIS AS LLVL JET INCREASES IN THE EARLY EVENING AHEAD OF THE ADVANCING SHORTWAVE TROUGH...THEN VEERS AND WEAKENS FROM 06-12Z AS MCS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH AND EAST. EFFECTS OF THIS MORNINGS MCS AND AFTERNOON CONVECTION ON TODAYS HIGHS WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIP IS QUESTIONABLE SO LIMITED HIGHS FROM THE MID 80S FAR NORTHEAST CORNER TO THE LOW TO MID 90S FAR SOUTH. THIS WOULD STILL KEEP HEAT INDICES BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS...SO NO HEADLINES AT THIS POINT. AFTER CONVECTION TODAY AND TONIGHT...A BETTER LIKELIHOOD OF HOTTER TEMPS AND MORE SUN FOR MONDAY WITH CONTINUED WAA. HAVE INCREASED HIGHS MONDAY GENERALLY THROUGH THE 90S ALL AREAS. THE HOTTEST TEMPS SHOULD OCCUR ON TUESDAY AS A MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL SOUTHWEST FLOW IN THE LOW LEVELS DEVELOPS ACROSS THE AREA AND INCREASES LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY PUSHING HIGHS INTO THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE...ALTHOUGH VERY WARM 850 TEMPS SURGING NORTHEAST COULD PUSH A FEW SPOTS OVER 100 IN THE SOUTHWEST CWA AHEAD OF THE NEXT SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. WILL KEEP PRECIP CHANCES GOING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE FOR TUESDAY NIGHT...THEN DRY ON WEDNESDAY...ALTHOUGH MODEL DIFFERENCES IN TIMING AND PRECIP POTENTIAL ARE THERE. SOME COOLING FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY LOOKS ON TRACK WITH MORE CHANCES FOR CONVECTION ON THU NIGHT WHICH CURRENT FCST ALREADY HAS A GOOD HANDLE ON. THEREFORE NO CHANGES MADE TO FCST BEYOND TUESDAY. && .AVIATION... MULTIPLE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS TO THE WEST LATE THIS EVENING WITH ELEVATED SHOWERS DEVELOPING INTO CENTRAL KANSAS AS LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES. SOUTHERN SYSTEM MAY END UP DOMINATING GIVEN ITS APPARENT ROTATION....RELATION TO THE JET...AND PRECIP TO ITS EAST...THOUGH APPEARS UPPER WAVE IS HELPING THE NORTHERN SYSTEM AS WELL. COULD BE SOME IMPACT TO THE TERMINALS FROM THIS ACTIVITY...BUT CAN ENVISION MULTIPLE SCENARIOS TO KEEP THIS FROM OCCURRING AS WELL. WILL ADD CB GROUP TO THE MORNING INTO MIDDAY HOURS GIVEN UNCERTAINTY. NORTHEAST WINDS ALSO ADVECTING SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR INTO THE AREA...THOUGH VISIBILITIES ARE FALLING SLOWLY NEARBY. NOT TOO FAR FROM MVFR LEVELS...BUT INCREASING CIRRUS SHOULD KEEP IFR VISBYS AT BAY. MODELS ARE EVEN LESS IMPRESSIVE WITH STRATUS SIGNAL AND WILL REMOVE LOW CEILINGS. 65 && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 717 PM CDT SAT JUL 11 2009 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-130030- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 717 PM CDT SAT JUL 11 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE SOMEWHAT LATE IN THE NIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE AREA. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...WITH THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AREA-WIDE TUESDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 423 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 KSZ020-034-120945- CLOUD-OTTAWA- 423 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CLOUD AND OTTAWA COUNTIES... THROUGH 445 AM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 35 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF CLOUD AND OTTAWA COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE DELPHOS...CULVER...CONCORDIA... MINNEAPOLIS...NILES...WELLS...MILTONVALE...CLYDE...BENNINGTON AND AURORA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 449 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 KSZ008-009-020>022-034>037-121030- CLAY-CLOUD-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-OTTAWA-REPUBLIC-RILEY-WASHINGTON- 449 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR REPUBLIC...WASHINGTON...CLOUD... CLAY...RILEY...OTTAWA...GEARY...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES... THROUGH 530 AM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 50 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF REPUBLIC...WASHINGTON...CLOUD...CLAY... RILEY...OTTAWA...GEARY...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE MILTONVALE ABILENE...ENTERPRISE...CLAY CENTER...WASHINGTON...CHAPMAN...HERINGTON...RILEY...LEONARDVILLE... JUNCTION CITY...HANOVER AND BARNES. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 267 AND 300 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 525 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 KSZ009-010-021>023-035>038-121100- CLAY-DICKINSON-GEARY-MARSHALL-MORRIS-POTTAWATOMIE-RILEY-WABAUNSEE- WASHINGTON- 525 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WASHINGTON...MARSHALL...CLAY... RILEY...POTTAWATOMIE...GEARY...WABAUNSEE...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES... THROUGH 600 AM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 40 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF WASHINGTON...MARSHALL...CLAY...RILEY...POTTAWATOMIE...GEARY...WESTERN WABAUNSEE...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE WASHINGTON...CHAPMAN...HERINGTON...MILFORD LAKE...HANOVER....RILEY...JUNCTION CITY...BLUE RAPIDS...MARYSVILLE....COUNCIL GROVE LAKE...TUTTLE CREEK STATE PARK...COUNCIL GROVE...ALTA VISTA AND MANHATTAN. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 272 AND 318 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. STAY ALERT TO THE WEATHER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 553 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 KSZ022>024-035>038-121130- DICKINSON-GEARY-JACKSON-MORRIS-POTTAWATOMIE-RILEY-WABAUNSEE- 553 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR JACKSON...RILEY...POTTAWATOMIE... GEARY...WABAUNSEE...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES... THROUGH 630 AM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 40 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF JACKSON...RILEY...POTTAWATOMIE...GEARY... WABAUNSEE...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE TUTTLE CREEK STATE PARK...MANHATTAN...WESTMORELAND...ST. GEORGE...COUNCIL GROVE...ALTA VISTA...WAMEGO...ONAGA AND ALMA. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 289 AND 335 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. STAY ALERT TO THE WEATHER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:54 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Portion of roof removed off Holiday Inn near Anderson and 17th Street. Portion of roof landed on vehicles in parking lot. Water damage to several of the rooms with trees blown down.
There are reports of downed trees and power lines. Roof of apartment building on west side of town is partially removed.
The broadcast media reported an estimated 60 mph wind gust.
The broadcast media reported an estimated 60 mph winds gust.
Damage was observed on the extreme northwestern edge of town. The damage path went right through the center of town and created the worst damage to the center part of town just south and southeast of town. A roof was blown off of a motel and caused damage to cars in the parking lot. Numerous trees, up to 48 inches in diameter were snapped at the base, and some fell on cars and houses. The visible damage path ended on the southeast part of town.
A trained spotter reported an estimated 65 mph wind gust.
There was also minor street flooding reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 2009
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: 189223, 189224, 189225, 189226, 189230, 189227, 189228.