A warm front lifted northward through Kansas during the early morning hours of the 15th. Convection along the front lifted northward with the boundary and persisted for much of the day with storm re-intensification during the early afternoon hours as an upper level shortwave trough embedded within the mean central US trough moved through the plains states.
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 TOP wrote it up.
A warm front lifted northward through Kansas during the early morning hours of the 15th. Convection along the front lifted northward with the boundary and persisted for much of the day with storm re-intensification during the early afternoon hours as an upper level shortwave trough embedded within the mean central US trough moved through the plains states. Due to the duration of convection and copious amount of atmospheric moisture in place, thunderstorms produced 3 and 5 inches of rain (as measured by storm spotters and cooperative observers) across portions of east central Kansas. This led to several reports of flash flooding and road closures.
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 15, 2:43 AM CST, 8 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 343 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009 .DISCUSSION... 00Z UA ANALYSIS AT 850 MB SHOWED A MOISTURE AXIS FROM SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS INTO NORTHEAST KANSAS. 07Z SURFACE ANALYSIS HAD THE SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHEAST COLORADO WITH A WARM FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS JUST NORTH OF HUTCHINSON TO FORT SCOTT LINE. ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FIRED ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70 ON THE NOSE OF THE LOW LEVEL JET. SINCE 05Z THE LLJ HAS INCREASE FROM 30KTS TO NEAR 50 KTS AT 07Z. ELEVATED STORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS NEHAMA AND BROWN COUNTIES AT 08Z. LATEST RUC HAS A THETA-E MAXIMA FROM 850-700 MB ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. WATER VAPOR LOOP AND PROFILER DATA SHOWS A SHORTWAVE PASSING THROUGH THE FOUR CORNERS AREA THIS MORNING. FOR TODAY THE WARM FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI BY 18Z. EXPECTING EARLY MORNING CONVECTION TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES ON THE NOSE OF THE LOW LEVEL JET AND ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE WARM FRONT. BY MID MORNING EXPECTING THE BULK OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BE NORTHEAST OF THE CWA. NEXT AS A UPPER TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE CWA FROM THE NORTHWEST. MLCAPES INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON TO AROUND 2000-2500 J/KG WITH 30 TO 40 KTS OF 0-6KM SHEAR. LAPSE RATES STEEPEN THIS AFTERNOON AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST LOW LEVEL CIN WILL GO AWAY IN THE 19Z-21Z TIME FRAME. CLOUDS AND RAIN THIS MORNING MAY AFFECT THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES IN PLACE FROM THE MORNING CONVECTION. LOOKS LIKE MAINLY A HAIL THREAT THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER LOW LEVEL HELICITY MAY BE ENHANCED NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY OR NEAR OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES SO COULD NOT RULE OUT A ISOLATED TORNADO. BY 00Z SAT THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO EXTEND FROM NORTHWEST MISSOURI TO NEAR TOPEKA SOUTHWEST TO COUNCIL GROVE AND WICHITA. CONTINUED WITH THE HIGHEST POPS ACROSS EAST CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING. WITH THE THETA-E AXIS IN PLACE ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS TODAY AND INTO THIS EVENING POTENTIAL FOR SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL EXIST. STORMS WILL BE PROGRESSIVE AND THE FRONT SHOULD BE OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA BY MID EVENING...SO NOT PLANNING ANY FLOOD WATCHES CURRENTLY. BEHIND THE FRONT COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE CWA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. LOWS TONIGHT WILL DROP DOWN INTO THE 40S AND 50S. ON SATURDAY BROAD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH. HIGHS SATURDAY WILL BE IN THE 60S. DRY NORTHWEST FLOW THEN OCCURS INTO MONDAY. THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES OFF BY SUNDAY EVENING WITH SOUTH WINDS AND INCREASING HEIGHTS HIGHS WILL WARM INTO MID AND UPPER 70S FOR MONDAY. NO CHANGES TO THE REST OF THE FORECAST. 53 && .AVIATION... CONFIDENCE IN TS IS INCREASING WITH CURRENT RADAR TRENDS. DO NOT THINK PRECIP WILL BE CONTINUOUS...SO HAVE INCLUDED A TEMPO FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS TS MOVING ACROSS NORTHEAST KS. AM NOT AS CONFIDENT IN THE IFR CIGS THE MOS GUIDANCE IS INDICATING. THINK MODELS ARE DOING THIS WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION. IFR CIGS ARE STILL PRETTY FAR SOUTH INTO NORTHWEST OK. WITH THE BOUNDARY LAYER REMAINING WELL MIXED...THINK CIGS WILL REMAIN ABOVE 1 KFT. STILL THINK THERE WILL BE A BREAK IN TS BEFORE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON. WOLTERS && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 506 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-161100- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 506 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY AND THEN MAINLY ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. THIS COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AS WELL AS CREEKS AND STREAMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1102 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1054 AM HAIL SENECA 39.83N 96.06W
05/15/2009 M1.00 INCH NEMAHA KS STORM CHASER
&&
JLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1105 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1058 AM HAIL SENECA 39.83N 96.06W
05/15/2009 M1.00 INCH NEMAHA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1110 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1109 AM FLOOD SENECA 39.83N 96.06W
05/15/2009 NEMAHA KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEVERAL STREETS IN SENECA ARE CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
&&
GARGANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1118 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1115 AM HAIL 1 ENE SENECA 39.84N 96.05W
05/15/2009 M1.00 INCH NEMAHA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1123 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1115 AM HAIL 7 N GOFF 39.77N 95.93W
05/15/2009 M1.00 INCH NEMAHA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1126 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1121 AM HAIL 3 N ROBINSON 39.86N 95.41W
05/15/2009 M0.75 INCH BROWN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SMITHThe Topeka radar (KTWX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:43 UTC.
4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A small stream swelled beyond it's banks and spilled over Hwy 73 north and east of Hiawatha. The highway was briefly closed because of flowing water over the roadway. Further north, Krestel Road, south of the town of Reserve, was also closed because of flowing water over the roadway.
A car drove into and was overtaken by flash flood waters on Brook Street in eastern Lawrence. Local law enforcement performed a water rescue to save the vehicle occupants.
One foot of water reported to be flowing over Highway 56 between Scranton and Burlingame. Water also flowing over the roadway on Highway 75 east of 173rd Street. Numerous streets were reported to be flooded in Scranton, and several were barricaded to prevent drivers from passing through affected roadways.
Portions of 2150 Road and bridge reported to be under water. Several other roadways across the county were also noted to have less than 6 inches of water flowing or ponding on them.
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, May 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: 174503, 174530, 175098, 175162.