A cluster of slow-moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall over parts of northwest Kansas, resulting in flooded roads, one bridge washout and several homes flooded.
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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 GLD wrote it up.
A cluster of slow-moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall over parts of northwest Kansas, resulting in flooded roads, one bridge washout and several homes flooded.
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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 7, 2:30 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 230 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 .DISCUSSION... 226 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 1630Z WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATED H5 RIDGE AXIS THAT HAD BEEN OVER THE AREA FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS HAS SHIFTED TO THE EAST WITH LARGE TROUGH...WITH A FEW EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE TROUGHS...WAS CENTERED ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. AT THE SFC...TROUGH AXIS REMAINED DRAPED ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO...WITH AREA OF WEAK CONVECTION/SPRINKLES ACROSS EASTERN CWA. PRECIP CHANCES AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE PRIMARY CONCERN FOR THE PERIOD. TONIGHT...ANOTHER WEAK INSTABILITY AXIS DEVELOPS ACROSS THE CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA. AS WAS THE CASE YESTERDAY...THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY STRONG SFC CONVERGENCE TO HELP INITIATE CONVECTION...AND WITH SHORT WAVE TROUGH RESPONSIBLE FOR TODAYS SPRINKLES EXPECTED TO BE TO THE EAST OF THE AREA...SUBSIDENCE MAY FURTHER INHIBIT DEVELOPMENT. CURRENT TRENDS INDICATING STORMS DEVELOPING BEHIND THIS INTIAL SHORT WAVE TROUGH SO IT APPEARS HEATING ENOUGH TO OVERCOME ANY CAPPING INDUCED BY SUBSIDENCE SO WILL CARRY LOW POPS ACROSS ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT. OTHERWISE LLJ DOES NOT LOOK AS STRONG AND FORCING FAIRLY WEAK SO DO NOT PLAN ON CARRYING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES OVERNIGHT. TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT...H5 TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DAKOTAS DURING THE DAY...FORCING A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. TIMING OF THE FRONT REMAINS UP IN THE AIR...AND MOST LIKELY TIMING OF FROPA WILL BE OVERNIGHT TUESDAY. FRONTAL SCALE FORCING...ALONG WITH H5-H3 DIV Q FIELDS INDICATE FORCING FOR ASCENT ALSO MAXIMIZED DURING THIS PERIOD. WITH LATER FRONTAL TIMING...A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT BOUNDARY LAYER MAY STABILIZE BEFORE FRONT REACHES THE AREA. SREF POPS REMAIN VERY HIGH...AND CURRENT MID RANGE POPS APPEAR REASONABLE FOR THE PERIOD. WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY...FRONT WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY AND WITH AFOREMENTIONED QUESTIONS IN TIMING AND GENERAL SLOWER TREND IN THE MODELS...THINK HOLDING ONTO THUNDER CHANCES REASONABLE FOR THE DAYTIME PERIOD. WEAK UPSLOPE FLOW WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT AND WITH NO REAL DRY AIR ADVECTION TO SPEAK OF...THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A SMALL THREAT OF DIURNALLY DRIVEN STORMS THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE WITH SFC HIGH IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA AND HUMID AIRMASS IN PLACE...THINK ANOTHER ROUND OF FOG OR STRATUS A REAL POSSIBILITY ACROSS PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE AREA. FOR THURSDAY...SFC FIELDS LOOK SIMILAR TO THE PAST FEW DAYS WITH SFC TROUGH DEVELOPING ACROSS EASTERN CWA AND MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. IF FOG DEVELOPS IN THE MORNING THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT WIDESPREAD STRATUS IN THE MORNING WOULD LIMIT HEATING/DESTABILIZATION ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. WITH MINIMAL AFTERNOON CONVECTION THE PAST FEW DAYS...THINK A DRY FORECAST IS IN ORDER UNTIL PRE FRONTAL TROUGH NEARS THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT. HIGH TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY ON WEDNESDAY AS POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR POST FRONTAL STRATUS WHICH COULD REALLY INHIBIT WARMING THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. NAM VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH STRATUS DECK...WHILE GFS ONLY HINTS AT A BRIEF WINDOW OF LOW CLOUD POSSIBLE. STRATUS HAS FORMED FAIRLY EASILY THE PAST FEW DAYS AND WITH A SIMILAR AIRMASS MOVING BACK TO THE AREA...AM GOING TO TREND TO THE COOLER SIDE OF THINGS. IN THE EXTENDED...MAIN CONCERN FOR THE PERIOD CENTERS AROUND CLOSED H5 TROUGH EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE PLAINS. LOOKS LIKE MODELS HAVE BEEN BOUNCING AROUND WITH THE POSITION OF THE LOW...WITH A SOMEWHAT WESTWARD DRIFT APPARENT IN THE DIFFERENT RUNS. GFS 00Z ENSEMBLE MEAN AS WELL AS CLUSTERING OF ENS MEMBERS WOULD TEND TO SUPPORT A MORE EASTERLY POSITION OF THE TROUGH...BUT REGARDLESS OF EXACT POSITION SEEMS TO BE GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A LARGE TROUGH WILL IMPACT THE AREA. WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY IN EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM PLAN ON KEEPING DETAILS FAIRLY GENERALLY NOW. BOTH MAX AND MIN TEMPS WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL AFTER STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY. BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BE WITH FROPA ON FRIDAY...BUT WITH POTENTIAL FOR CLOSED LOW NEAR THE AREA PLAN ON KEEPING SMALL DIURNAL CHANCES THROUGH THE PERIOD. JRM && .AVIATION... 1150 AM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 18Z TAFS...VFR IS ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE 24 HOUR TAF PERIOD. AN ISOLATED SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM MAY IMPACT THE KMCK AREA BETWEEN 23Z-04Z, HOWEVER PROBABILITIES REMAIN LOW WITH NO MENTION ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. NE...NONE. CO...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 214 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-081230- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 214 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 /314 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SMALL HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE TUESDAY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 308 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 KSZ014-028-072215- LOGAN-THOMAS- 408 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THOMAS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS AND LOGAN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL KANSAS... AT 407 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WINONA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. THEDE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 324 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 KSZ028-072230- LOGAN- 424 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LOGAN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL KANSAS... AT 424 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTH OF SCOTT STATE LAKE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THEDE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 335 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 KSZ014-072230- THOMAS- 435 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THOMAS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 434 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING NEAR MINGO...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. THEDE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 358 PM MDT MON SEP 7 2009 KSZ002-003-014-015-072300- DECATUR-RAWLINS-SHERIDAN-THOMAS- 458 PM CDT MON SEP 7 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR RAWLINS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...DECATUR COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...THOMAS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SHERIDAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 456 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING NEAR HALFORD...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS SHOWING SIGNS OF ROTATION AND SHOULD BE MONITORED CLOSELY. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. THEDE
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:58 UTC.
2 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Five power poles were blown over by thunderstorm winds.
Cattle fences were washed out by flood waters.
Water was reported over highway 25 in several places, within a few miles north of Russell Springs. Numerous nearby county roads were also flooded.
Road 30 between Road B and C in southern Thomas County was washed out, including a bridge over the Saline River. The local utility company stated that $30,000 worth of damage occurred to power poles in the vicinity. Several nearby homes also suffered flood damage.
Runoff from heavy rainfall the previous evening resulted in lingering flooding through the morning of September 8. KDOT reported water remaining over US Highway 40 between Monument and Oakley the following morning.
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, September 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: 187385, 187386, 187387, 187388, 187389, 187390.