An upper level trough of low pressure over central Kansas, initiated a large area of strong to severe thunderstorms. This area of thunderstorms moved east across extreme eastern Kansas, during the late afternoon and early evening hours of May 19, 2013.
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 EAX wrote it up.
An upper level trough of low pressure over central Kansas, initiated a large area of strong to severe thunderstorms. This area of thunderstorms moved east across extreme eastern Kansas, during the late afternoon and early evening hours of May 19, 2013. There were several reports of damaging thunderstorm 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 Kansas City, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 19, 5:51 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 651 PM CDT Sun May 19 2013 .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Monday Night) Issued at 243 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 Convection is already beginning to fire ahead of a north-south- oriented wave over central KS. This wave will be the main player this evening, and we still expect a line of supercells to develop just ahead of it through late afternoon. This line should be near a TOP- STJ line around 5 pm, into the KC metro between 6 pm and 9 pm and toward Kirksville and Boonville between 9 pm and midnight. Airmass has become moderately to strongly unstable, evident by 2600 J/kg of CAPE on the 18Z TOP sounding. This combined with a 50-60 kt mid-level jet streak directly overhead will be more than supportive of organized severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Still expect storms capable of very large hail and a few tornadoes to develop over eastern KS which will transition into a line of storms over far eastern KS or western MO and race into central MO overnight. Latest models suggest this transition into linear or quasi-linear mode may occur a bit earlier than previously thought, possibly as far west as eastern KS. This line will be capable of producing widespread wind damage and some embedded tornadoes. Better chances for strong tornadoes now appear to be southwest of the forecast area, closer to Wichita, where low-level wind fields will be a bit more supportive. However, low-level shear will increase after 00Z across far western MO, and this could support tornadoes embedded within a developing QLCS as it tracks into Kansas City and points east. Any storms that maintain supercell structure after 00Z will also have an enhanced tornado threat. Another potentially active day is in store for Monday as wind fields remain supportive of severe storms. Much of the severe threat for Monday depends on how far south and east the cold front pushes overnight, and any lingering cloud debris that could cut back on instability during the day. Models have trended slightly further east with the location of the front, and thus the severe threat, which now appears to be focused from near Clinton and Sedalia toward Macon and points east. If strong instability can redevelop, shear profiles support a severe line of storms capable of large hail and widespread wind damage developing across these areas and spreading into eastern MO and the Ozarks Monday evening. Heavy rain will also be a threat with this line. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) Issued at 243 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 Have lowered thunderstorm chances on Tuesday as latest guidances indicates convection Monday night may shove effective boundary far enough to the southeast to push highest chances of redevelopment into the southeastern portions of the state. Through Friday, temperatures will return to seasonal normal in the 70s, as high pressure remains in control. Precipitation chances begin to increase by next weekend as mid-level heights rise and moisture returns to the Plains. Temperatures by next weekend will again climb back into the 80s. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Monday Evening) Issued at 645 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 Line of severe thunderstorms tracking northeast 35kts will affect the KMCI/KMKC terminals for about 2 hours at the start of the forecast. High probability for winds greater than 50kts and potential for large hail with this line. KSTJ will also be affected by this same line but convection may last for an hour or two longer. After passage of this line the rain chances pretty much end. Will be watching for re- development towards sunrise Monday as a couple of the short range convective models are picking up on this. Otherwise, VFR conditions for Monday. With the frontal boundary still draped over west central MO through Monday there is a chance for convection to reform from Kansas City southward with chances increasing the further south you get away from Kansas City. && .EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. MO...NONE. && SHORT TERM...Hawblitzel LONG TERM...Dux AVIATION...MJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO 513 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040- 043>046-053-054-201130- ATCHISON KS-MIAMI-LINN KS-DONIPHAN-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE-JOHNSON KS- ATCHISON MO-NODAWAY-WORTH-GENTRY-HARRISON-MERCER-PUTNAM-SCHUYLER- HOLT-ANDREW-DE KALB-DAVIESS-GRUNDY-SULLIVAN-ADAIR-BUCHANAN-CLINTON- CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-LINN MO-MACON-PLATTE-CLAY-RAY-CARROLL-CHARITON- RANDOLPH-JACKSON-LAFAYETTE-SALINE-HOWARD-CASS-JOHNSON MO-PETTIS- COOPER-BATES-HENRY- 513 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS FORMED OVER EASTERN KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL TRACK RAPIDLY NORTHEAST THROUGH THE ENTIRE REGION THIS EVENING. WHILE SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA...THE GREATEST THREAT AND IMPACT WILL EXIST ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AND ST JOSEPH AREAS. STRAIGHT-LINE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS. ISOLATED SUPERCELLS EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS LINE WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES AND A FEW TORNADOES OVER EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS AREAS NEAR AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL ONCE GAIN BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND A FEW TORNADOES. AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN FROM SEVERAL DAYS OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS BY MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AREA-WIDE ON TUESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT FINALLY PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI...GENERALLY EAST OF A CHILLICOTHE TO CLINTON LINE. SLIGHT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL ALSO LIKELY BE NEEDED ON MONDAY. MJ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
415 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0408 PM HAIL ROCKPORT 40.42N 95.52W
05/19/2013 E1.00 INCH ATCHISON MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
ABAILEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
417 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0402 PM HAIL ROCKPORT 40.42N 95.52W
05/19/2013 E1.00 INCH ATCHISON MO PUBLIC
&&
ABAILEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
430 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0426 PM HAIL 2 W WESTBORO 40.53N 95.36W
05/19/2013 M1.75 INCH ATCHISON MO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DUXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
456 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0456 PM HAIL 6 N ROCKPORT 40.50N 95.52W
05/19/2013 M1.75 INCH ATCHISON MO TRAINED SPOTTER
ALSO 60 TO 70 MPH WINDS
&&
DUXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
647 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0645 PM HAIL RICH HILL 38.10N 94.36W
05/19/2013 E0.88 INCH BATES MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
DUXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
712 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0712 PM TSTM WND GST 1 N EASTON KS 39.36N 95.12W
05/19/2013 E60 MPH LEAVENWORTH KS EMERGENCY MNGR
WIND REPORTED AS 60 PLUS
&&
ABAILEYThe Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:11 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph.
Several large trees were reported down, with thunderstorm wind gusts estimated up to 60 mph.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured up to 73 mph.
Several trees were reported blown over on roads near Osawatomie. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph.
Numerous trees were reported down in Paola. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 70 mph.
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, May 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: 452562, 452558, 452559, 452563, 452564, 452560, 452561, 452565.