From late in the afternoon of July 23rd until late that night, extremely powerful severe thunderstorms went on a rampage from Central to South-Central Kansas. The thunderstorms first developed over Lincoln & Ellsworth counties and quickly evolved into monstrous super cells as they invaded the rest of Central & South-Central Kansas as the evening progressed.
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 ICT wrote it up.
From late in the afternoon of July 23rd until late that night, extremely powerful severe thunderstorms went on a rampage from Central to South-Central Kansas.
The thunderstorms first developed over Lincoln & Ellsworth counties and quickly evolved into monstrous super cells as they invaded the rest of Central & South-Central Kansas as the evening progressed. Several areas in Central Kansas were bombarded by tennis ball to softball-sized hail. Reno County was hardest hit, where an astonishing 12 reports of tennis ball to softball-sized hail occurred and where winds reached a horrific 80-100 mph along the Reno/Kingman County line.
Initially, the super cells were prolific hail-producers, but as the evening progressed, they evolved into a large squall line that unleashed damaging and, at times, destructive, winds that ranged from 70-100 mph as it tore through South-Central 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 23, 6:15 AM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 715 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 230 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ONGOING EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS ON THE EASTERN FRINGE OF THE STRONGER CAP WITHIN MODEST H9-H8 MOISTURE TRANSPORT/MUCAPE 1000-1500 J/KG. ANOTHER LONG-LIVED CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND CURRENT TRAJECTORIES WOULD ALLOW THIS ACTIVITY TO ARRIVE ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS AROUND 12Z. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 230 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 LINGERING CLOUDS/PRECIPITATION MAY ONCE AGAIN INHIBIT FULL MIXING ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. TRENDED HIGH TEMPERATURES DOWN SLIGHTLY WITH VALUES IN THE LOW-MID 90S ANTICIPATED WHILE LOCATIONS NEAR THE OKLAHOMA STATE LINE MAY STILL APPROACH THE CENTURY MARK. MORE ROBUST DEEP MOIST CONVECTION IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG A SAGGING COLD FRONT. SPEED AND DIRECTIONAL SHEER ARE IMPRESSIVE FOR LATE JULY WITH 0-6KM BULK SHEAR OF 45-55 KNOTS. CLOCKWISE CURVED HODOGRAPHS AND MLCAPES EXCEEDING 3000 J/KG SHOULD RESULT IN SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT A TORNADO OR TWO MIGHT DEVELOP TOWARD EVENING AS 0-1/0-3 KM SRH IS PROGGED TO INCREASE WITHIN A NARROW TONGUE OF 0-3KM CAPE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...HOWEVER GIVEN THE RECENT MODEL PERFORMANCE CONFIDENCE IN THIS SCENARIO REMAINS LOW. MAINTAINED LOW POPS ALONG THE OKLAHOMA STATE LINE ON WEDNESDAY WITHIN A WEAKLY CAPPED AND VERY MOIST PBL ALTHOUGH THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT WELL SOUTH INTO OKLAHOMA. SEASONABLY MILD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WITHIN A POST-FRONTAL NORTHEAST FLOW REGIME WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 80S/AROUND 90. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING MOVES OVER THE AREA AHEAD OF THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY IS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS ANTICIPATED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY NIGHT. SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES REMAIN BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF...HOWEVER THE GFS HAS SHOWN MORE RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY AND WILL LEAN TOWARD THE MORE PROGRESSIVE GFS SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 230 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 UNSEASONABLY COOL HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED AT THE START OF THE PERIOD AS A MID/UPPER LOW MIGRATES SLOWLY EASTWARD OVER THE GREAT LAKES AREA AND NORTHWEST MID/UPPER FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS STATES. IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT...HIGHS ON FRI-SAT ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO REACH THE LOW 80S WITH SOME LINGERING POPS ON FRI. THE MID/UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHWEST/SOUTHERN ROCKIES WILL BEGIN TO TRANSLATE EASTWARD LATE IN THE WEEKEND/EARLY NEXT WEEK ALLOWING HIGHS TO RETURN TO SEASONABLE NORMALS. MAINTAINED LOW POPS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A SERIES OF MORE SUBTLE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS EMERGE FROM THE ROCKIES. MWM && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 703 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL KANSAS ON CURRENT TRAJECTORY WILL IMPACT KRSL/KSLN IN OVER THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS OF THE FORECAST. SOME INDICATIONS THAT THIS COMPLEX COULD CONTINUE SOUTHEAST AND AFFECT KCNU AROUND 1700 UTC OR SO. OTHERWISE TOUGH CALL ON CAP STRENGTH IN AIRMASS AHEAD OF COLD FRONT...BUT CURRENTLY WILL TRY TO KEEP THINGS DRY UNTIL FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. -HOWERTON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 93 71 89 71 / 30 50 20 10 HUTCHINSON 93 69 88 70 / 40 40 10 10 NEWTON 93 69 87 69 / 40 50 20 10 ELDORADO 93 70 88 68 / 30 60 20 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 97 73 90 71 / 30 50 20 10 RUSSELL 95 66 88 70 / 30 20 10 10 GREAT BEND 97 68 88 70 / 30 20 10 10 SALINA 93 67 88 69 / 40 40 10 10 MCPHERSON 93 68 88 69 / 40 40 10 10 COFFEYVILLE 97 73 92 70 / 30 60 40 10 CHANUTE 93 70 90 68 / 30 60 30 0 IOLA 94 69 90 67 / 30 60 20 0 PARSONS-KPPF 94 72 91 70 / 30 60 30 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 508 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-241015- 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- 508 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IN ADDITION...ANY STORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HIGH RAINFALL RATES THAT MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE 100 TO 104 DEGREE RANGE NEAR THE OKLAHOMA STATE LINE THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY PERIODIC CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH A BRIEF LULL OVER THE WEEKEND AND CONTINUED CHANCES EARLY NEXT WEEK. STRONG STORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. THE BEST CHANCES FOR MORE ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING APPEARS TO BE ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS THIS EVENING. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
420 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
KSZ047-231000-
BARTON-
420 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHERN BARTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...
* UNTIL 500 AM CDT
* AT 414 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ALBERT...OR 7
MILES WEST OF GREAT BEND...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GREAT BEND...PAWNEE ROCK...ELLINWOOD AND GREAT BEND AIRPORT.
WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY
CAUSE BRIEF FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORM INTENSIES AND
BECOMES SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LISTEN
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOODING WARNINGS...SHOULD THE RISK
FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT.
&&
LAT...LON 3833 9904 3840 9904 3852 9891 3852 9848
3826 9848 3826 9903 3830 9905
TIME...MOT...LOC 0918Z 306DEG 21KT 3837 9891
HOWERTONSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
648 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
KSZ033-231215-
LINCOLN-
648 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LINCOLN COUNTY...
AT 643 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HUNTER...OR 19 MILES NORTHWEST OF LINCOLN
AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY...SHOULD MONITOR THE
WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF THE STORM
MAINTAINS INTENSITY AND MOVES INTO THE AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER
IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS.
&&
LAT...LON 3922 9844 3923 9812 3921 9803 3900 9810
3909 9849 3913 9848 3914 9850 3922 9850
3923 9849
TIME...MOT...LOC 1147Z 284DEG 31KT 3917 9841
ESSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
725 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
KSZ033-231300-
LINCOLN-
725 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LINCOLN COUNTY...
AT 719 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
CONTINUING TO TRACK A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF LINCOLN
AND MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
DIME SIZED HAIL AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE THUNDERSTORM INTENSIFIES
AND BECOMES SEVERE OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3912 9792 3903 9792 3890 9796 3901 9844
3918 9839
TIME...MOT...LOC 1223Z 284DEG 26KT 3906 9824
ESPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1003 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0730 AM TSTM WND GST LINCOLN 39.04N 98.15W
07/23/2013 E50 MPH LINCOLN KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
ESTIMATED 40-50 MPH GUSTS BLEW A TIN ROOF OFF A DOG POUND
AT THE FAIR GROUND. TIME OF OCCURRENCE ESTIMATED PER
DOPPLER.
&&
EPSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1012 AM CDT TUE JUL 23 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0536 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 N ARGONIA 37.34N 97.76W
07/22/2013 SUMNER KS PUBLIC
TRASMISSION LINES AND POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN AROUND 5
MILES NORTH OF ARGONIA
&&
RBLThe Wichita radar (KICT), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:11 UTC.
39 hail, 34 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was uprooted and landed on a radio line east of C Street. The time is estimated based on radar.
The quarter-sized hail was reported on Highway K-14.
The ping-pong ball-sized hail was reported near 200th Road and Grain Drive.
The spotter's yard was covered with ping-pong to golfball-sized hail.
The golfball-sized hail occurred at the Pike/50th Road intersection.
No damage was reported.
The baseball-sized hail damaged trees and cracked windshields.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
The tennis ball-sized hail occurred in Northeast Hutchinson near the power plant, but there were no reports of damage.
The spotter reported downed trees and power lines blocking the road near the 3400 block of North Plum.
No damage was reported.
A large flag pole fell onto two trucks parked at Midway Motors on 30th Street.
Sustained speeds at 65 mph were measured with gusts that reached 75 mph at the 30th Street/Hendrick intersection.
No damage was reported.
Occurred near the 11th Street/Halstead intersection. No damage was reported.
A large Cottonwood tree was blocking 69th Street near Old K-61.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
In Haven, sizes ranged from nickels to quarters.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
Estimated speeds ranged from 60 to 65 mph.
The estimated speeds ranged from 70 to 80 mph. Large hail of unknown sizes was also reported but its surprising that no damage was.
Multiple trees and limbs were blown down in Pretty Prairie.
Limbs 8 inches in diameter were blown down, several of which landed on power lines. Several traffic signs were also blown down.
No damage was reported.
Estimated speeds ranged from 80 to 100 mph but no damage was reported.
Power lines were blown down across a road.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
A roof was blown off a 25 foot by 40 foot building. Trees and limbs were blown down across the area.
Limbs were blown down.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
A tornado siren was blown over at Santa Fe Lake. The time of occurrence is based on radar.
Multiple trees were uprooted in Rose Hill.
Power lines were blown down on Main Street. The time of occurrence is based on radar.
Power lines and power poles were blown down throughout the community thereby causing power outages. The report was received from Sumner County Emergency Management Facebook page. The time of occurrence is estimated from radar.
Power lines and power poles were blown down around the community causing power outages. Information was received via Sumner County Emergency Management Facebook Page. Time is estimated based on radar.
Power lines were blown down. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar.
A tree with an 8-inch diameter trunk was uprooted.
No damage was reported.
A large tree was uprooted and fell onto a power line just east of E Street. The time of occurrence was estimated from radar.
The spotter was located at the U.S. 166 and U.S. 77 intersection.
No damage was reported.
Trees with 6 to 12 inch diameter trunks were uprooted with many power lines blown down. Most of the town lost power. Time of occurrence was based on radar.
Trees with 6-12 inch diameter trunks were uprooted with power lines down, leaving most of the town without power. The time of occurrence was based on radar.
Damage was reported throughout the town with numerous power outages.
The East Madison and Chestnut Street underpasses were impassable.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 2013
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: 470887, 470888, 470889, 470890, 470891, 470892, 470893, 470894, 470895, 470896, 470897, 470898, 470899, 470900, 470901, 470902, 470903, 470904, 470905, 470906, 470907, 470908, 470909, 470910, 470911, 471186, 471187, 471394, 471188, 471189, 471190, 471191, 471192, 471193, 471194, 471195, 471196, 471197, 471198, 471200, and more.