On May 12th 2010, a strong storm system affected the Southern and Central Plains. In the National Weather Service Topeka Kansas County Warning Area (CWA), a warm front hovered east-west just to the south of Interstate 70 most of the day, while a cold front extended from Dickinson county into South Central Kansas.
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.
On May 12th 2010, a strong storm system affected the Southern and Central Plains. In the National Weather Service Topeka Kansas County Warning Area (CWA), a warm front hovered east-west just to the south of Interstate 70 most of the day, while a cold front extended from Dickinson county into South Central Kansas. Late in the afternoon, severe thunderstorms developed along the cold front, and moved northeastward across east central Kansas. In the Topeka CWA, most reports of large hail and damaging winds occurred along or south of the Kansas Turnpike. Elsewhere in the Topeka CWA, several storms produced hail 1/2 inch in diameter or smaller, and winds of 40 to 50 mph.
A National Weather Service storm survey team joined Douglas County Emergency Management in the field the afternoon of May 13th to assess wind damage in southern Douglas County. A farmstead sustained damage to several sheds, wooden structures, trees, and a concrete silo. Tin from the sheds was blown approximately 1/4 mile downstream. Due to the unidirectional damage path, the survey team determined the damage had been caused by 75-80 mph straight line winds.
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 12, 2:25 PM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 325 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 .DISCUSSION... FOR TONIGHT...WARM FRONT CURRENTLY FROM BETWEEN ABILENE AND HERINGTON TO JUST SOUTH OF FOE AND LWC. WARM FRONT HAS BEEN MOVING VERY SLOWLY NWD...BUT DO NOT EXPECT A LOT MORE PROGRESS THIS EVENING. SOUNDINGS IN THE WARM SECTOR OVER EC KS SHOW CAP STILL IN PLACE AND CONVECTION FROM EMPORIA THROUGH TOPEKA TO ATCHISON HAS BEEN ELEVATED. SURFACE BASED STORMS NOW STARTING TO FIRE NORTHEAST OF SURFACE LOW ALONG COLD FRONT IN SC/CENTRAL KS. THIS MORE ROBUST CONVECTION EXPECTED TO DEVELOP/MOVE NORTHEAST ALONG FRONT ENTERING OUR CWA NEAR HERINGTON. MAIN CONVECTION EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEAR FRONT AND BROKEN LINE OF STORMS...SOME SUPERCELLS...WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOW-LEVEL SHEAR STRONG AND WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING SO ANY STORM THAT COMES OFF THE BOUNDARY OR REMAINS ISOLATED HAS SOME POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A TORNADO. OTHERWISE VERY LARGE HAIL EXPECTED TO BE ANOTHER THREAT. COLD FRONT SHOULD MOVE OFF TO EAST LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH PRECIP ENDING IN EC KS DURING THE AFTERNOON. NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THE ONGOING LONG TERM FORECAST FOR THIS ISSUANCE. ONCE THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA...A BRIEF DRYING OUT PERIOD WILL COMMENCE AND TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE LATE PART OF THE WEEK. BY FRIDAY WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGING INDICATES THAT TEMPERATURES MAY CREEP BACK INTO THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BY THE WEEKEND. MODELS ARE COMING INTO AGREEMENT REGARDING A POTENTIALLY WET WEEKEND ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES ON SHORE LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL ACT TO ADVECT SOME MOISTURE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE FOCUS FOR THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WHICH MAY PIVOT AROUND THE LARGER LOW. CURRENT MODELS PROG TWO OF THESE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS. THE TIMING...LOCATION...AND INTENSITY OF THESE SHORTWAVES ARE YET TO BE DETERMINED...HOWEVER THE FIRST OF THE TWO SHORTWAVES LOOKS TO MOVE THROUGH ON SATURDAY...THEN ANOTHER ON SUNDAY. DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE TIMING AND LOCATION OF THE TROUGHS...THIS FORECAST PACKAGE WILL ONLY MENTION A CHANCE OF RAIN FOR THE WEEKEND. CONDITIONS SHOULD CLEAR OUT BY THE START OF NEXT WEEK. JL .AVIATION... WARM FRONT LIFTING SLOWLY NWD AND SHOULD MOVE NORTH OF TOP AND FOE BY 20Z WITH RISING CIGS AND WINDS SHIFTING TO A MORE SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. CIGS STILL EXPECTED TO BE MVFR EVEN AT FOE AND TOP. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE BY 3 OR 4 PM...AND WILL LAST UNTIL COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH LATE EVENING. FOR MHK...WARM FRONT MAY NEVER MAKE IT SO MAINLY NELY WINDS AND IFR CIGS WITH VSBYS RESTRICTED BY FOG AND LIGHT RAIN SHOULD CONTINUE INTO EVENING. MHK CLOSE ENOUGH TO FRONT TO STILL HAVE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY LATE AFTERNOON. 60 && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 325 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-132030- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 325 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL FORM ALONG A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. SOME OF THE STORMS DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING MAY PRODUCE TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. BY THE LATE EVENING THE TORNADO THREAT SHOULD DISSIPATE AND ONGOING THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONGEAL INTO A LINE. LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND STRONG WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE LATE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS IMMINENT DURING THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 430 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 KSZ056-058-059-122200- ANDERSON-COFFEY-FRANKLIN- 430 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHWEST FRANKLIN...EASTERN COFFEY AND ANDERSON COUNTIES... THROUGH 500 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST FRANKLIN...EASTERN COFFEY AND ANDERSON COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE WESTPHALIA...HARRIS...GARNETT AND WILLIAMSBURG. STAY ALERT TO THE WEATHER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
507 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0505 PM HAIL RICHMOND 38.40N 95.25W
05/12/2010 E0.25 INCH FRANKLIN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MRCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 605 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 KSZ035>037-122330- DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- 605 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR GEARY...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES... THROUGH 630 PM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF GEARY...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE WHITE CITY...BURDICK...WILSEY...PARKERVILLE AND DWIGHT. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. THE CLUSTER OF STORMS MAY STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES. BE READY TO TAKE SHELTER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 615 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 KSZ008-122345- REPUBLIC- 615 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHWEST REPUBLIC COUNTY... THROUGH 645 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH ACROSS NORTHWEST REPUBLIC COUNTY. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE REPUBLIC.
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:15 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter near Osage City reported an estimated 60 mph wind gust.
Two 12 inch diameter tree limbs were down. This report was relayed to the office from KVOE.
A county official reported an estimated 60 mph wind gust near Harveyville.
This report was relayed to the office via KVOE.
There was street flooding on 6th Street, east of Branner Trafficway.
The intersection of 6th Street and Tyler Street is impassable due to flooding.
Water was reported in the intersection of 24th Street and Macvicar Avenue.
A National Weather Service employee reported an estimated 60 mph wind gust.
Cars are stuck in the water at 29th Street and Kansas Avenue in Topeka.
Water was crossing portions of K31 Highway near Harveyville.
A cement block silo was blown down. Several grain bins and tin sheds were damaged. Tin debris was blown nearly a quarter of a mile downstream. The house on the farm property had several windows broken out on its southern side. Several tree branches around 6 inches in diameter were blown down as well. The survey team estimated 75 to 80 mph winds at the residence.
Several power poles were blown down along East 550 Road and Highway 56 near Baldwin City.
Several trees were snapped on the property. The windmill was blown down. Barns were damaged. Report was taken from local newspaper.
A tree was blown down across Highway 59 at intersection with North 600 Road.
Power lines are down 2 miles northwest of Vinland.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, May 2010
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: 231537, 231525, 231526, 231531, 231527, 231528, 231529, 231538, 231530, 231521, 231522, 231540, 231539, 231523, 231524, 231532, 231533, 231534, 231535, 231536.