A lone but intense supercell moved rapidly south out of Northeast Kansas during the afternoon hours of July 8th, 2009. The storm produced quarter sized hail driven by winds of 60 to 80 mph, which produced a swath of damage across Allen County, Kansas.
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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 ICT wrote it up.
A lone but intense supercell moved rapidly south out of Northeast Kansas during the afternoon hours of July 8th, 2009. The storm produced quarter sized hail driven by winds of 60 to 80 mph, which produced a swath of damage across Allen County, 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 8, 2:24 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 324 PM CDT WED JUL 8 2009 .DISCUSSION... FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE SLIGHT THUNDERSTORM CHANCES OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS...ALONG WITH THE HEAT. LONE STRONG/SEVERE SUPERCELL CURRENTLY MOVING SOUTH ALONG INSTABILITY AXIS/MID-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE ACROSS FAR EASTERN KS MAY CLIP PORTIONS OF WOODSON AND ALLEN COUNTY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. HOWEVER...THINKING THAT THIS ISOLATED ACTIVITY MAY TEND TO EVENTUALLY WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INTO A MORE STABLE AIRMASS. ADDITIONALLY...A STRAY ISOLATED STORM MAY DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN/NORTHEAST KS...ALONG A REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. THIS ACTIVITY COULD CLIP NORTHERN/NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. THERE IS GREATER CONFIDENCE IN AN MCS DEVELOPING AFTER MIDNIGHT...AS LOW-LEVEL JET VEERS...INCREASING LIFT ALONG THE LOW-MID LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE CURRENTLY IN PLACE. THINKING BEST CHANCES WILL BE EAST OF I-135...ALTHOUGH CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED ACTIVITY WEST OF I-135. DESPITE ONLY MODEST INSTABILITY...STRONG DIRECTIONAL DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND GOOD STORM-RELATIVE INFLOW COULD PROMOTE A FEW SEVERE STORMS...CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...ALTHOUGH NOT ANTICIPATING A HIGH-END EVENT BY ANY MEANS. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD PERSIST INTO THURSDAY MORNING OVER EAST-CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST KS. A SUBTLY ACTIVE PATTERN EXPECTED THE NEXT 5-7 DAYS. THE BUILDING MID/UPPER RIDGE CENTER IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS/SOUTHERN ROCKIES...KEEPING THE FORECAST AREA IN A WEST/NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT REGIME. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR VARIOUS WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARIES TO WOBBLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FORECAST AREA...AS SUBTLE MID/UPPER DISTURBANCES RACE EAST/SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SLIGHT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS JUST ABOUT EACH DAY AND NIGHT...MAINLY ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA CLOSEST TO THE STRONGER WEST/NORTHWESTERLIES. FOR THE MOST PART...AM NOT ANTICIPATING ANY WIDESPREAD AND/OR HIGH-END SEVERE EVENTS...MAINLY DUE TO VERY WARM MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES AND RELATIVELY WEAK FLOW ALOFT. HOWEVER...A FEW MAINLY NOCTURNAL THROUGH MORNING STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. HEAT WILL BE ANOTHER ISSUE. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE NEXT 7 DAYS...WITH 850MB TEMPERATURES APPROACHING AND EVEN EXCEEDING 30C. NORMAL HIGHS THIS TIME OF YEAR ARE LOW 90S. PENDING MORNING CONVECTION HAMPERING HIGHS...THINKING THURSDAY-FRIDAY HIGHS WILL REACH 90S-100S...WARMEST ON FRIDAY. IN FACT...SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA COULD VERY WELL EXCEED 105F ON FRIDAY...GIVEN THE EXPECTED AMOUNT OF MIXING OCCURS. HEAT INDICES WILL BE MARGINAL FOR A HEAT ADVISORY DUE TO DEWPOINTS MIXING OUT FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST...SO WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUING ANY HEADLINES AT THIS TIME. SATURDAY TEMPERATURES WILL BE TRICKY AS A COLD FRONT OOZES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. LATEST GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO TREND FARTHER SOUTH WITH THIS FRONT...SO THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES MAY BE CONFINED TO FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES. KLEINSASSER && .AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU COMPLEX OF CONVECTION QUICKLY MOVED SOUTH OF THE AREA INTO OK EARLY TODAY...WITH JUST LINGERING MID CLOUDS ACROSS THE KICT AND KHUT TAF SITES. FOR THE REST OF THE DAY EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS FOR ALL THE TAF SITES AS CAPPING INVERSION ALOFT KEEPS PRECIP CHANCES NIL. CONCERN THEN SHIFTS TO ANOTHER ROUND OF NOCTURNAL CONVECTION EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KS LATE TONIGHT. MID LEVEL LIFT AND ELEVATED INSTABILITY LOOKS TO INCREASE ACROSS THIS AREA BETWEEN 06-09Z/THU WITH A COUPLE AREAS OF CONVECTION POSSIBLE TO THE EAST OF INTERSTATE 135 AFTER 09Z/THU. THIS WILL POSSIBLY AFFECT THE KSLN AND EVENTUALLY THE KCNU TAF SITES AS THIS AREA OF STORMS AGAIN SLIDES TO THE SOUTH DURING THE 09-15Z/THU TIME FRAME. SO HAVE INSERTED A VCTS FOR THIS CHANCE. NOT TOO CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN PLACEMENT OF THE CONVECTION TO GO WITH A TEMPO GROUP JUST YET. ALSO NOT CONFIDENT IN KICT AND KHUT STAYING DRY AS WELL...EARLY ON THU...BUT WILL KEEP MENTION OF TSRA OUT OF THESE SITES AND WAIT TILL LATER TAF ISSUANCES TO INSERT IF NEEDED. KETCHAM && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 74 101 76 103 / 20 10 10 10 HUTCHINSON 74 101 75 102 / 20 10 10 20 NEWTON 73 99 76 102 / 20 10 10 20 ELDORADO 73 98 76 102 / 20 10 10 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 74 101 76 103 / 20 10 10 10 RUSSELL 74 101 74 99 / 10 10 20 20 GREAT BEND 74 102 74 100 / 10 10 20 20 SALINA 74 99 75 99 / 20 10 20 20 MCPHERSON 74 100 75 101 / 20 10 20 20 COFFEYVILLE 73 96 75 101 / 30 30 10 10 CHANUTE 72 96 75 99 / 30 30 10 10 IOLA 71 95 75 98 / 30 30 20 10 PARSONS-KPPF 72 96 75 100 / 30 30 10 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 531 AM CDT WED JUL 8 2009 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-090945- 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- 531 AM CDT WED JUL 8 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER A FEW STRONG STORMS WITH DIME SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE...FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A SALINA TO EL DORADO TO SEDAN LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY MORNING...FOR AREAS MAINLY EAST OF THE TURNPIKE. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG PRODUCING DIME SIZE HAIL. HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 100 TO 105 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON...AND MAINLY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS HEAT MAY CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. BESIDES THE HEAT...THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND...MAINLY ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP KED/BILLINGS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 316 PM CDT WED JUL 8 2009 KSZ072-082045- ALLEN- 316 PM CDT WED JUL 8 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ALLEN COUNTY... AT 315 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR GARNETT...OR 23 MILES SOUTH OF OTTAWA... AND MOVING SOUTH AT 35 MPH. QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 TO 75 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN EASTERN ALLEN COUNTY...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF THE STORMS MOVE INTO THE AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. CARUSO
The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:43 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Quarter inch hail driven by wind gusts to 60 mph lasted for almost ten minutes and shredded the vinyl siding of a homestead. The hail also blasted out several windows to the home.
Winds estimated at 60 mph, accompanied by quarter sized hail produced widespread damage to a farmstead. The winds knocked down a large tree limb that crashed into the house. Another sycamore tree was knocked down, covering a car on the property.
Winds estimated at 80 mph and quarter size hail produced a swath of damage to cornfields from east of Mildred, Kansas to just west of Bronson, Kansas. The damaging winds and hail reduced corn fields to little more than bent and broken stocks. The damage continued into Bourbon county, Kansas.
The golfball sized hail fell for almost 10 minutes causing 3 foot drifts of hail along US highway 54. The hail also shreaded the leaves off of several trees.
Winds estimated to at least 60 mph rolled a large travel trailer pulled by a pickup along US highway 54.
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: 188829, 188832, 188838, 186191, 188819.