Storms developed during the afternoon hours over the Flint Hills on Friday, April 26th along an eastward moving dryline. As the storms progressed east they started to produce five tornadoes.
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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.
Storms developed during the afternoon hours over the Flint Hills on Friday, April 26th along an eastward moving dryline. As the storms progressed east they started to produce five tornadoes. Two of the tornadoes were rated an EF-2. One of them struck southwest of Fredonia and the other southwest of Yates Center. Luckily there were no injuries or fatalities with these tornadoes. The other tornadoes were rated EF1, EF0 and EFU. Large hail ranging from quarter size to ping pong ball size was reported.
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 Apr 26, 1:38 PM CST, 13 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 238 PM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Strong to severe storms remain possible across the Flint Hills this afternoon and early evening. - Severe storms, a few possibly significant, likely midday Saturday into Saturday night. - Active weather return by the middle of next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 143 PM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 A upper level wave and associated surface cold front will continue to move eastward across Kansas this afternoon. Current satellite imagery was showing agitated cumulus in the deeper moisture east of the Kansas Turnpike in response to the approaching wave/cold front. Thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon and some of them could produce significant severe weather. SHIP parameter values are supportive of significant hail over two inches in size, damaging winds around 65mph, and a strong tornado will also be possible given low LCLs favorable low-level SRH(especially for any storm that can remain more discrete). The activity should shift eastward into Missouri by late this afternoon/early evening. Tomorrow still has the potential to bring significant severe weather to the area, there remains a higher degree of uncertainty than one might like this close the event. There remains uncertainty in the forecast ranging from how potential convection initiating in SW Oklahoma tomorrow morning could disturb the warm sector, to expected storm mode in the CWA, and to timing of CI over the area. What we know is confidence is growing that more widespread coverage of storms is expected, but the degree of the severe risks remain in question. The deeper and more amplified trough pattern is continuing to hold thus as the severe event goes on, expect flooding to begin to play a bigger role in event. With heavy rainfall and training storms possible, a flood watch has been issued across portions of south central and southeast Kansas from tomorrow afternoon through Sunday morning. Expect rises on rivers and creeks and impacts to low water crossings. A weak cap and ample forcing for ascent from the ejecting trough, along with strong warm moist advection may generate storms early tomorrow afternoon. If so, severe hazards would be limited to very large hail and damaging winds for the start of the event. As the afternoon continues, and storm coverage increases, we may see the expected hail size reduce as anvil seeding tempers the otherwise very large hail threat. That said, storms that can remain more discrete to semi discrete, likely closer to the dryline will continue to pose a very large hail threat. The threat for a strong tornado builds as we move into the late afternoon and early evening as the LLJ/SRH ramps up. However, the confidence in the magnitude of the tornado threat is lower given potential messy storm mode by the time the environment would support them. The window for any discrete to semi discrete storms/broken lines appears short. The sfc low tomorrow will be in the vicinity of western KS and is progged to deepen and setup a dryline just west of the CWA by peak heating. Moderate to strong instability (2500-3500 J/kg) will combine with strong flow (50kts+ bulk shear), with a developing LL Jet/strong SRH late afternoon/early evening, and modest 3CAPE. Any storm that can remain discrete or even semi- discrete in this type of environment will pose significant hazards including a strong tornado, large to very large (2-3+ inch) hail, and damaging wind gusts. Expect the storms to go upscale with time and transition to mainly a wind and flooding threat as we head into tomorrow evening and night. The sooner storms go upscale, the sooner the sig hail and sig tor threat gets reduced. Most activity should end by Sunday morning, with just far southeast KS potentially lingering through late Sunday morning. The upper trough will lift northeastward on Sunday, making way for a warming trend as we go into the middle the next week. Quiet weather will prevail at least until middle of next week and into the end of next week as the next western CONUS trough develops with embedded shortwaves moving through the mean flow. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1234 PM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 In the short-term, MVFR ceilings will persist across far southeast Kansas. By mid afternoon, a few thunderstorms are expected to form from roughly the Flint Hills on east, along a sharpening dryline. Any storm that develops will be capable of severe weather, including large hail, damaging winds, and perhaps a tornado or two. The storm threat should exit east into Missouri by around 00-02z this evening. Thereafter, we are expecting MVFR to possibly IFR ceilings to expand/spread north late tonight once again. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 330 AM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 Today: Very high grassland fire danger is expected this afternoon as dry air and windy conditions affect portions of central Kansas. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for KSZ032-033- 047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100. Flood Watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon for KSZ053-069>072-093>096-098>100. && DISCUSSION...CDJ/KMB AVIATION...ADK FIRE WEATHER...BMB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 1048 AM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-271600- 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- 1048 AM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A few isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening, primarily along and east of a line from Emporia to Eureka to Sedan. If storms are able to form, they will be capable of baseball size hail and damaging winds. A tornado or two cannot be ruled out as well. Strong south to southwest winds gusting to 35 to 45 mph will impact central and eastern Kansas today. The strong winds will fuel very high grassfire danger this afternoon over central and north- central Kansas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Severe storms are possible on Saturday. There is also the potential for localized flooding where training thunderstorms occur. Thunderstorm chances may linger across far southeast Kansas on Sunday. Additional storm chances are possible Tuesday and Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is possible along and east of the Flint Hills this afternoon and evening, and areawide Saturday afternoon and night. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1200 PM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM Rain 2 NNW Parsons 37.37N 95.29W
04/26/2024 M3.80 Inch Labette KS CO-OP Observer
24 hour total
0700 AM Rain 1 SW Neodesha 37.42N 95.69W
04/26/2024 M2.20 Inch Wilson KS CO-OP Observer
In the past 24 hours
0700 AM Rain Moran 37.91N 95.17W
04/26/2024 M2.13 Inch Allen KS CO-OP Observer
24 hour value
0900 AM Rain 1 NNE Galesburg 37.49N 95.35W
04/26/2024 M1.89 Inch Neosho KS CO-OP Observer
In the previous 24 hours
0600 AM Rain Erie 37.57N 95.25W
04/26/2024 M1.68 Inch Neosho KS Cocorahs
24 hour total
0600 AM Rain 1 E Iola 37.93N 95.39W
04/26/2024 M1.68 Inch Allen KS Cocorahs
In the past 24 hours
0700 AM Rain 1 NE Oswego 37.18N 95.10W
04/26/2024 M1.67 Inch Labette KS CO-OP Observer
24 hour value
&&Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wichita KS
204 PM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024
KSZ069-093-094-261930-
Butler KS-Cowley KS-Elk KS-
204 PM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT WESTERN ELK...NORTHEASTERN
COWLEY AND SOUTHEASTERN BUTLER COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM CDT...
At 204 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Grenola, or 16 miles north of Cedar Vale, moving northeast at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Howard, Grenola, and Cambridge.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3724 9675 3761 9654 3760 9602 3730 9642
3730 9652 3722 9652 3721 9654
TIME...MOT...LOC 1904Z 222DEG 40KT 3735 9656
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
JAKUBThe Wichita radar (KICT), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:49 UTC.
7 tornado, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotters relayed report to emergency management of quarter sized hail at Kansas Highway 99 and Rock Road.
Trained spotters relayed via emergency management of ping pong ball sized hail on US Highway 160 between Moline and Grenola.
Law enforcement officer sent in pictures of tree damage that occurred in eastern Elk County.
Rural fire department found the tornado track starting in Wilson County with most of the damage occurring in Woodson County.
The damage was mainly to trees and outbuildings, but a two story home sustained roof damage when it was mostly torn off.
Rural fire department surveyed the damage to a farmstead which had four outbuildings destroyed. A trailer, which was attached to a pickup, was tossed a quarter of a mile. There was some damage to the windows on the house and hardwood trees on the property had broken limbs. The rest of the damage in the county was to trees with branches broken.
Parts of metal roofs to outdoor buildings at the fairgrounds sustained damage.
There was damage to trees, outbuildings and part of about a third of the metal roof on a home. A horse trailer was knocked on its side.
A chaser video showed a brief touchdown in open country. No damage was found.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2024Warnings in Kansas, April 2024
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: 1175784, 1175785, 1175787, 1165699, 1175779, 1165700, 1175782, 1175788, 1165701, 1175789, 1165702, 1167385, 1175791.