Strong thunderstorms brought heavy rain to much of north central, northeast, and east central Kansas on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Thunderstorms moved across northern Kansas Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with very heavy rainfall.
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.
Strong thunderstorms brought heavy rain to much of north central, northeast, and east central Kansas on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Thunderstorms moved across northern Kansas Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with very heavy rainfall. For the remainder of the afternoon and evening, thunderstorm development tended to train over the same areas for 1 to 3 hours. Spotters reported rainfall rates in the range of 1 to 2 inches per hour, with numerous rainfall totals in the 3 to 6 inch range. This did cause flash flooding across the region...with Anderson and southern Franklin counties receiving the most widespread flooding.
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 Sep 15, 5:52 AM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 652 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010 .UPDATE... UPDATE FOR 12Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... SEE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION. && .AVIATION... MCS IS ONGOING...AND WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS WITH CONTINUED MOISTURE ADVECTION AHEAD OF SURFACE LOW TO THE WEST. EXPECT CONDITIONS NEAR MVFR FOR MUCH OF THE EVENT...ESPECIALLY VISIBILITIES. WILL PLAY FOR LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON CLEARING...AND ENOUGH INSTABILITY RETURNING FOR LATE DATE STORM CHANCES...BUT ONLY WORTH A CB MENTION BASED ON UNCERTAINTY ON CONVECTIVE TRENDS LATER TODAY AND COVERAGE WITH THE FRONT. 65 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 344 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010/ DISCUSSION... EARLY THIS MORNING AN MCS WAS MOVING EAST AND SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KS. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY DAMAGING WIND REPORTS IN THE LAST FEW HOURS. IR SHOWED THAT CLOUD TOPS WERE COOLING AND RADAR REFLECTIVITY IS HINTING AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RIJ DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHERN RUSSEL AND SOUTHERN OSBORN COUNTIES. IF WINDS CAN PENETRATE THE INVERSION THERE COULD BE SOME 60 MPH WIND REPORTS INTO NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY. WE'LL HAVE TO MONITOR THIS QLCS TO SEE IF IT INCREASES IN INTENSITY. THE RUC HAD THE BEST INITIALIZATION WITH THIS COMPLEX AND SHOWED THE BETTER ENVIRONMENT OF 0-3KM SRH OF 120-150 J/KG AND MUCAPE OF 2-2.5K J/KG OVER CENTRAL KS...TRANSLATING EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST COUNTIES THROUGH 12Z. THEREFORE...THE MCS MAY MAINTAIN ITSELF AS IT HEADS EASTWARD INTO THE SOUTHWEST COUNTIES OF THE CWA. THIS MCS WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA THIS MORNING. 6 HOURLY FFG IS ABOUT 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE CWA. I GAVE SOME THOUGHT TO A FLASH FLOOD WATCH...BUT MY THINKING IS THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL FALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. THE MCS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA THIS MORNING AND AN OFB WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KS. I'M NOT SURE IF WE WILL RECOVER FROM THE CLOUDS AND OUTFLOW IN TIME FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. ATTM...IT WILL BE MORE OF A MESOSCALE FORECAST TO WHERE IN THE CWA SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL DEVELOP...OR THEY MAY REDEVELOP JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF THE CWA. IF SKIES CLEAR THE RESULTING INSOLATION THIS AFTERNOON WILL HELP DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. THE NAM AND GFS SHOW MLCAPE OF 2.5 TO 3.5K J/KG THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE CWA AND 0-3KM SRH BETWEEN 150 TO 250 J/KG. ONCE AGAIN THIS COULD ALL CHANGE AFTER THE MCS MOVES EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA THIS MORNING. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE DEPENDENT ON CLOUD COVER. GIVEN SOME AFTERNOON CLEARING HIGHS SHOULD REACH THE MID TO UPPER 80S. AN H5 TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND BRING A COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. AGAIN...IF WE RECOVER AHEAD OF THE SFC FRONT INSTABILITY AND VERTICAL WIND SHEAR PROFILES WILL CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. INITIALLY THESE STORM COULD BE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS...BUT SHOULD CONGEAL INTO A SQUALL LINE ALONG THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST OF THE CWA TONIGHT BRINGING AN END TO THE THUNDERSTORMS. A SLIGHTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CWA FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S ON THURSDAY AND LOWER 80S ON FRIDAY. ZONAL FLOW WILL CAUSE A LEE SFC TROUGH TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. THE RESULTING SOUTHERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW WILL ADVECT DEEPER MOISTURE NORTHWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS. ATTM...THE BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NORTH OF A SFC WARM FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL NE. THERE MAY BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF THE CWA. HIGHS WILL WARM INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. GARGAN && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 431 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-160945- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 431 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 TO 55 MPH...AND HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH 1000 AM. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH THE PRIMARY HAZARD BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO MAY BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT INTERACTS WITH THE SURFACE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
429 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010
KSZ021-034-035-151015-
CLAY-DICKINSON-OTTAWA-
429 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN CLAY...OTTAWA AND
NORTHERN DICKINSON COUNTIES...
THROUGH 515 AM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT
40 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CLAY...OTTAWA AND NORTHERN
DICKINSON COUNTIES. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED THESE STORMS WERE
PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL...STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL AND CONTINUOUS DEADLY LIGHTNING. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD
BE AFFECTED INCLUDE MINNEAPOLIS...SOLOMON...LONGFORD...TALMAGE...
ABILENE...ENTERPRISE...CHAPMAN AND WAKEFIELD. MOTORISTS ALONG
INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 266 AND 289 COULD ALSO BE
AFFECTED.
THE STORMS MAY STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES. BE READY TO
TAKE SHELTER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
&&
LAT...LON 3927 9695 3896 9696 3897 9694 3897 9692
3887 9692 3886 9689 3881 9690 3883 9737
3891 9737 3893 9739 3894 9737 3895 9737
3895 9774 3930 9776
TIME...MOT...LOC 0928Z 277DEG 33KT 3920 9749 3895 9746SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
519 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010
KSZ035>037-151100-
DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
519 AM CDT WED SEP 15 2010
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN GEARY...SOUTHEASTERN
DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES...
THROUGH 600 AM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT
35 MPH ACROSS SOUTHERN GEARY...SOUTHEASTERN DICKINSON AND MUCH OF
MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL...STRONG WINDS
OF 40 TO 50 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND CONTINUOUS DEADLY
LIGHTNING. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE
HERINGTON...WOODBINE...LATIMER...BURDICK...WHITE CITY...
WILSEY...PARKERVILLE AND DWIGHT.
THE STORMS MAY STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES. BE READY TO
TAKE SHELTER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.
&&
LAT...LON 3851 9691 3859 9693 3861 9718 3894 9718
3890 9649 3851 9650
TIME...MOT...LOC 1018Z 278DEG 29KT 3890 9692 3854 9692The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:11 UTC.
6 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Water was flowing over several county roads along the Cloud and Mitchell county line. Ditches along Highway 24 in southwest Cloud County filled up.
Highway 31 near Harris was flooded with 8 to 9 inches of running water. Also several county roads flooded near Richmond.
Multiple roads across Anderson County, especially near Richmond, remain closed due to flooding.
Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were reported across Wabaunsee County. As a result, the intersection of Highway 4 and 99 had 2 to 3 inches of water running. Several creeks reached the tops of their banks county wide.
Law enforcement reported 2 inches of flowing water over 1350 Avenue and Union Road near Woodbine.
County Road 460 was closed near Vinland due to flash flooding. Water was reported running over Highway 59 near County Road 650.
Flooding caused the closure of 101st Street between Wanamaker and Burlingame Road.
The emergency manager from Anderson County reported flash flooding across numerous rural roads near Garnett.
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, September 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: 262151, 262159, 262152, 262157, 262153, 262160, 262154, 262158, 262155.