Supercell thunderstorms developed across portions of central Kansas, during the late afternoon and evening of May 5th, 2019. The supercells initially produced large hail, but quickly became tornado producing storms, as they moved east southeast.
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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.
Supercell thunderstorms developed across portions of central Kansas, during the late afternoon and evening of May 5th, 2019. The supercells initially produced large hail, but quickly became tornado producing storms, as they moved east southeast. Five different tornadoes ending touching down across Barton, Rice and Reno counties, as the supercell moved to the southeast. As the supercell moved into the Wichita metro area, the storm produced copious amounts of small hail, that covered ground to almost a foot deep, on the west side of Wichita.
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 May 5, 2:13 PM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 313 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 313 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019 Main challenge is the effective frontal boundary placement Tuesday through Wednesday, especially with regard to diurnal surface based convection and severe potential. Otherwise, a good signal for episodic heavy rainfall, mainly nocturnal/early morning both Monday and Tuesday nights somewhere across the forecast area. After a chance for strong to severe surface based convection this evening across western portions of central Kansas, some modest elevated moisture transport later tonight may support scattered convection across the Flint Hills and southeast Kansas. Modest instability and cloud bearing shear combo may support a couple strong storms. The cold front will be the focus for organized convection Monday afternoon/evening. A very unstable airmass is progged ahead of the front with MLCape values at or above 3000 J/KG over south central and southeast Kansas by late afternoon/early evening. Despite modest deep layer shear as shortwave upper ridging moves across the area, it should be sufficient in tandem with frontal convergence/lift to promote sustained/organized updrafts and strong to severe storms. A hail risk initially should transition to down-burst/outflow wind potential into the evening. The main weather hazard looks to shift to locally heavy rainfall later in the evening into a portion of Monday night as the low level jet ramps up over the surface front owing to strong elevated moisture transport and higher precipitable water values. Details beyond Monday night become a bit more uncertain as the extent of prior convection and mesoscale influences will likely determine the effective surface boundary position and focus for the better chances for more robust severe convection. In this regard, prefer a lean toward the NAM in maintaining a more southern position to the front through mid-week. This would likely keep the the best chance for organized severe storms along or just south of the Kansas border on Tuesday afternoon/evening. However, there is another decent signal for elevated convection with embedded heavy rainfall later Tuesday evening/night with stronger moisture transport within the modest low level jet. There remains model consensus in lifting out a moderate strength upper trof across the area during Wednesday. The NAM remains further south with the effective surface front due to prior mesoscale convection/complexes, though possibly creeping into portions of southeast Kansas. The GFS would place most of the forecast area in the juicy/unstable warm sector with a greater risk for a severe event. So a conditional, perhaps higher end severe risk is still possible late Wednesday across portions of far southern Kansas. Darmofal .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Sunday) Issued at 313 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019 Still looks a trend to cooler and generally drier weather for the end of the week with Kansas between influences of a split upper flow regime across the CONUS. KED && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) Issued at 1224 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019 As of mid-day, the convective activity that was slowly making its way across southern Kansas/northern Oklahoma this morning has diminished quite a bit as it entered the forecast area in less favorable environmental parameters to support continued thunderstorm development. Latest satellite and radar imagery shows that the remaining showers/isolated thunder threat will largely miss the TAF sites to the south, though VCSH was inserted for an hour or so for KHUT and KICT as the remnants continue trekking off to the east. As for later today, the main question will be regarding potential storms this evening and overnight tonight. For this TAF issuance, inserted VCTS for now, initially in central Kansas and then for south central/southeast Kansas. The timing and coverage of storms will continue to be monitored and updated as needed with amendments and future issuances this evening. By tomorrow morning, MVFR cigs are expected to overspread much of the area. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Wichita-KICT 60 77 59 72 / 30 50 80 40 Hutchinson 58 75 55 69 / 30 50 80 50 Newton 60 75 57 69 / 30 50 80 40 ElDorado 60 77 58 71 / 50 60 80 50 Winfield-KWLD 60 78 60 74 / 40 40 80 40 Russell 56 69 50 62 / 20 60 70 60 Great Bend 56 71 51 64 / 20 50 80 60 Salina 59 73 54 65 / 30 60 80 60 McPherson 58 74 55 68 / 30 60 80 50 Coffeyville 60 79 62 76 / 50 40 80 50 Chanute 59 78 60 73 / 60 60 80 50 Iola 59 78 59 72 / 60 60 80 50 Parsons-KPPF 60 79 60 75 / 60 50 80 50 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. && SHORT TERM...KED LONG TERM...KED AVIATION...TAV
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 353 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-062100- 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- 353 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Severe storms will be possible this evening generally along and west of the Kansas turnpike. Large hail up to half dollar size and damaging wind gust to 65 mph will be possible. Strong storms with small hail will be possible overnight, mainly east of the Kansas turnpike after midnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Strong to severe storms will be possible Monday afternoon and early evening along a southward moving cold front. Large hail will be possible before transitioning to locally damaging wind gusts. Heavy rainfall is also likely Monday evening and into Monday night, mainly across south central and southeast Kansas. Periodic chances for thunderstorms will continue across the entire area Tuesday through Wednesday night. Locally heavy rainfall can be expected with a risk for strong to severe storms. The magnitude and location for the greatest severe risk is a bit uncertain as it will depend on the movement and placement of the surface front wavering across the area. So check back for later updates as confidence on specific details increases in the next couple of days. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is a remote possibility early this evening across portions of central Kansas, mainly west of highway 14. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: http://weather.gov/wichita/hwo/
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wichita KS
458 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019
KSZ047-048-050-052230-
Ellsworth KS-Rice KS-Barton KS-
458 PM CDT Sun May 5 2019
The National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a
* Significant Weather Advisory for...
Southwestern Ellsworth County in central Kansas...
Northwestern Rice County in central Kansas...
Northeastern Barton County in central Kansas...
* Until 530 PM CDT.
* At 455 PM CDT...National Weather Service meteorologists were
tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles southeast of Hoisington...
moving northeast at 20 mph.
Hail up to the size of nickels...and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be
possible with this storm.
* Locations impacted include...
Hoisington, Claflin, Holyrood, Bushton, Geneseo, Lorraine,
Frederick, Cheyenne Bottoms and Odin.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for
central Kansas.
LAT...LON 3870 9859 3870 9849 3874 9849 3854 9811
3840 9842 3836 9864 3849 9880
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 245DEG 12KT 3844 9868
VAUGHANThe Wichita radar (KICT), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:22 UTC.
24 hail, 9 tornado, 5 flood, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The large hail busted a windshield of a vehicle. The report was relayed by county dispatch.
Minimal damage to a residence was noted. However, significant damage to a few grain bin silos were noted.
Brief touchdown over open country. No damage was reported or surveyed.
The large hail caused extensive tree damage.
The tornado moved over open country and produced damage to a center pivot irrigation system.
A rope tornado moved over open country and blew over a few power line poles.
A trained spotter reported the gust.
A tornado touched down over open country and then moved across a farmstead causing damage to several of the out buildings.
This tornado had a peculiar movement from the northeast to the southwest. It initially touched down, and destroyed a 100 foot long pole barn, lofting some of the 1000 pound girders into a nearby field to the west. The tornado then curled back to the southeast hitting another farmstead further south, collapsing a pole barn and knocking down trees all around a farmhouse. Occupants of the house were home, but were uninjured.
A trained spotter estimated the gust to be 90 to 100 mph.
Street flooding, up to curb level occurred in town.
Brief touchdown over open country.
Brief touchdown over open country.
Numerous roads were impacted by high water from Chase to Sterling in southern Rice county.
Brief touch down over open country. A loafer shed was hit and some damage was reported.
A trained spotter estimated 60-65 mph winds.
The hail was mainly dime size or smaller but it ended up covering the ground. A few bigger stones were quarter size.
The hail covered the ground to almost 6 inches deep. Some of the hail piles remained until the next morning.
The penny sized hail covered the ground at the National Weather Service office.
High water was reported along Maple Street in West Wichita from Maize Road to 135th Street.
Water was reported flowing over Oxford Road south of Oxford.
One to two feet of water was reported over portions of Maize Road, north of Maple.
Sixty to seventy mph winds were reported with the golf ball size hail.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2019Warnings in Kansas, May 2019
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: 819921, 819922, 816482, 816487, 819923, 819924, 816488, 816491, 819925, 819926, 819927, 819928, 819930, 819936, 816492, 816506, 819937, 819938, 819939, 819940, 821769, 816512, 821745, 821746, 816513, 821747, 821770, 816514, 821749, 821763, 821750, 821753, 821757, 821764, 821765, 821758, 821766, 821759, 821760, 821761, and more.