A complex of thunderstorms moving east around 25 mph produced torrential rains across the region from that Monday afternoon until late that night along, and north, of a nearly stationary front that was draped across Northern Oklahoma. The flooding|that resulted was widespread and major with numerous roads and highways barricaded.
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.
A complex of thunderstorms moving east around 25 mph produced torrential rains across the region from that Monday afternoon until late that night along, and north, of a nearly stationary front that was draped across Northern Oklahoma. The flooding|that resulted was widespread and major with numerous roads and highways barricaded. Even a 30-mile segment of the Kansas Turnpike was closed briefly in Chase County. The flooding was so serious that water rescues and evacuations were required.
The most serious flooding occurred from McPherson County, across Southern Marion and Chase counties, to Greenwood County. In Northern McPherson County, one elderly woman was injured in Lindsborg when she fell into a flood around 600 PM. In Lindsborg, heavy trucks and boats were used to evacuate homes around an 8-mile wide area.
Many areas received 3 to 5 inches of rain in only 3 or 4 hours.
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 29, 11:53 AM CST, 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1253 PM CDT MON JUL 29 2013 ...AVIATION UPDATE... .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 257 AM CDT MON JUL 29 2013 MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS: SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL THIS PM/EARLY EVE AND HEAVY RAINFALL/FLOODING POTENTIAL INTO TUESDAY MORNING. HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES THIS MORNING WILL BE IN CENTRAL KS WHERE SLIGHTLY STRONGER MID-LEVEL ISENTROPIC ASCENT PERSISTS. OTHER CONVECTION OVER THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST-NORTHEAST REACHING SOUTH CENTRAL KS THIS MORNING. NOT EXPECTING THIS RAIN TO BE TOO HEAVY...AVERAGING 0.25 TO 0.50 INCH. KEY QUESTION FOR THIS PM/EVE IS HOW FAR NORTH CAN THE EFFECTIVE FRONT MOVE...WHICH CURRENTLY STRETCHES FROM FAR SOUTHWEST KS THROUGH NORTHERN OK. IT APPEARS REASONABLE THAT THIS FRONT MAY LIFT INTO OUR SOUTHERN KS COUNTIES BY THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER TO GET MUCH FURTHER NORTH COULD PROVE DIFFICULT GIVEN POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUDS/RAIN-COOLING EFFECTS. IF PARTIAL SUN/HEATING CAN OCCUR IN THE SOUTH...AT LEAST MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL DEVELOP THIS PM/EARLY EVE WITH ABOUT 30 KT OF W-NWRLY DEEP LAYER SHEAR VECTORS OVERHEAD. THEREFORE WILL CONTINUE MENTION OF POSSIBLE SEVERE STORMS IN HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IN SOUTH CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST KS. FOR TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...A SOUTHWESTERLY 35-40 KT LOW-LEVEL JET WILL FOCUS ISENTROPIC ASCENT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH STRONGEST MOISTURE TRANSPORT TARGETING SOUTH CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST KS WHERE PRECIPITABLE WATER IS PROGGED TO REACH 2.0 TO 2.2 INCHES. THIS IS THE 99TH PERCENTILE ABOVE NORMAL. UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE ALSO TARGETS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA AIDING IN UPWARD MOTION. A MESOSCALE COMPLEX OF RAIN/T-STORMS SHOULD DEVELOP TONIGHT...WHICH MAY SHOW BACKBUILDING TENDENCY INTO THE LOW-LEVEL JET ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KS/FLINT HILLS/SOUTHEAST KS. HAVE EXPECTED HIGHEST RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING OF 2 TO 4 INCHES BASIN AVERAGE IN THAT AREA. THIS IS CLOSE TO A CONSENSUS OF THE 00Z GEFS MEAN QPF MAX AND ECMWF QPF MAX IN TERMS OF LOCATION/AMOUNTS OF MAXIMUM RAINFALL. WILL KEEP PRESENT FLOOD WATCH AREAL CONFIGURATION...HOWEVER WILL EXTEND IT TIL 18 UTC TUESDAY ALONG/E OF THE KS TURNPIKE. CONFIDENCE IS MEDIUM FOR COUNTY FLOODING AND POTENTIALLY MULTIPLE RIVERS GOING INTO FLOOD ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST KS. RAIN CHANCES SHOULD DIMINISH/END LATER TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY BEHIND DEPARTING MID-LEVEL WAVE WITH LOW-LEVEL FLOW BECOMING NORTH-NORTHEASTERLY. SOME RECOVERY IN TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WITH LESS CLOUD COVER...BUT PROBABLY STAYING A FEW-SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL GIVEN RECENT WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINS. JMC .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 257 AM CDT MON JUL 29 2013 MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE A BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL STATES...WITH THE MAIN BELT OF WESTERLIES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER STATES. A COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO DROP SOUTHWARD INTO THE KANSAS REGION FRIDAY...AND THIS BOUNDARY MAY STALL NEAR OR JUST NORTH OF OUR AREA OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL BRING BACK CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY PERIOD. TEMPERATURE FORECAST WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. JMC && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1249 PM CDT MON JUL 29 2013 CONVECTION WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. WHILE VFR OR MVFR WILL PREVAIL MUCH OF THE TIME...PERIODS OF IFR AND PERHAPS LIFR CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IN AND NEAR THE SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF IFR CIGS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT IS ALSO EXPECTED EARLY TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. KED && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 81 69 86 70 / 80 100 90 10 HUTCHINSON 79 68 85 69 / 100 100 80 10 NEWTON 79 69 85 68 / 90 100 90 10 ELDORADO 80 70 85 68 / 80 100 90 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 85 71 88 70 / 80 100 90 20 RUSSELL 74 66 85 66 / 80 80 50 10 GREAT BEND 78 67 86 67 / 80 80 60 10 SALINA 74 67 85 67 / 100 90 70 10 MCPHERSON 78 68 85 68 / 100 90 80 10 COFFEYVILLE 87 72 87 71 / 60 100 100 20 CHANUTE 81 69 85 69 / 70 100 100 20 IOLA 80 69 85 69 / 70 100 100 20 PARSONS-KPPF 84 71 86 70 / 60 100 90 20 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR KSZ053-068>072-083- 091>096-098>100. FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR KSZ032-033-047>052-067- 082. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1247 PM CDT MON JUL 29 2013 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-301800- 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- 1247 PM CDT MON JUL 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BECOMING WIDESPREAD TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY WITH ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. THERE IS ALSO A RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. WHILE THE MAIN RISK WILL BE LARGE HAIL TO HALF-DOLLAR SIZE AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...A TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT MAY RESULT IN SOME COUNTY FLOODING...URBAN FLOODING...AND FLOODING OF CREEKS...STREAMS...AND MAIN-STEM RIVERS. REFER TO THE FLOOD WATCH FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PERSIST EARLY TUESDAY MORNING IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. THIS MAY RESULT IN COUNTY FLOODING...URBAN FLOODING...AND FLOODING OF CREEKS...STREAMS...AND MAIN-STEM RIVERS. REFER TO THE FLOOD WATCH FOR DETAILS. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND. A FEW STRONG STORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... A FEW STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING REPORTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP KED/JMC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1147 AM CDT MON JUL 29 2013
KSZ049>051-067-068-291730-
HARVEY-MCPHERSON-RENO-RICE-SALINE-
1147 AM CDT MON JUL 29 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HARVEY...MCPHERSON...NORTHEAST RENO...RICE AND
SALINE COUNTIES...
AT 1145 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE
AREA...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
THESE STORMS 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 3889 9740 3809 9736 3800 9786 3837 9810
3852 9800 3852 9792 3864 9793 3870 9788
TIME...MOT...LOC 1646Z 248DEG 23KT 3869 9778 3807 9771
DARMOFALPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1240 PM CDT MON JUL 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1239 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 N LITTLE RIVER 38.42N 98.02W
07/29/2013 E2.00 INCH RICE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN APPROXIMATELY
AN HOUR AND A HALF.
&&
VJPThe Wichita radar (KICT), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:00 UTC.
21 flood, 8 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter sent a picture of street flooding in McPherson via twitter.
The emergency manager reported numerous water-covered roads throughout the county.
Heavy rains caused street flooding.
Numerous roads across town were flooded.
Tree limb damage occurred.
A tree with a 14-inch diameter trunk was uprooted.
Numerous roads across the county were flooded.
Most streets were flooded to depths around 6 inches.
Significant flooding was still occurring in Lindsborg as well as in additional areas that had received significant rainfall.
Water flowed across roads with creeks out of their banks.
One rescue was in progress from a car stalled in an intersection.
A couple of homes were evacuated because of high water. Numerous county roads were impassable.
Around 6 PM law enforcement reported that numerous water rescues by boat were in progress.
In approximately an 8-block area of Northern Lindsborg heavy trucks and flat bottom boats were needed to evacuate homes. One elderly person was injured from falling into the flood waters. The water had begun to recede.
The Kansas Turnpike was closed briefly between mileposts 90 and 110. It was reopened.
Roads were flooded across Hesston.
Nearly all streets in Eureka were closed but were starting to reopen.
Most roads were flooded, several of which were closed across the entire county.
Some roads were flooded and closed in the flood-prone areas. It was still raining heavily with around 3 inches measured at this time.
Street flooding was in progress.
Halstead and Ridge Roads were flooded between Halstead to Hesston with some stalled cars reported.
Some street flooding occurred in town.
County roads were closed between Bushton and Geneseo. Ditches were full near Bushton.
County roads were closed between Bushton and Geneseo. Ditches were full near Bushton.
Significant street flooding was occurring in town.
High water was flowing across highway 75 just north of Buffalo.
High water closed 13 intersections. Water had entered a couple of businesses downtown. Water had begun to recede.
Numerous county roads were still closed across Northern Neosho County with some roads still barricaded in Chanute.
Water covered Kansas Highway 4 south of Gypsum.
The roads were closed near the intersection of Donmyer Road and Hobbs Creek Road due to flooding.
Police advise that Ridge Road north of 109th Street north to the county line flooded and 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: 471861, 471863, 471864, 471866, 471868, 471869, 471871, 471878, 471884, 471886, 471903, 471914, 471934, 472068, 471959, 471965, 471969, 471972, 471979, 471982, 471996, 471998, 472001, 472004, 472009, 472016, 472018, 472026, 472031, 472043, 472049.