On Saturday April 27th, there was volatile severe weather across Kansas and Oklahoma. An abundance of moisture and increasing shear through the day resulted in numerous rotating storms which produced several tornadoes across the Flint Hills into southeast Kansas.
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.
On Saturday April 27th, there was volatile severe weather across Kansas and Oklahoma. An abundance of moisture and increasing shear through the day resulted in numerous rotating storms which produced several tornadoes across the Flint Hills into southeast Kansas. The strongest tornado was an EF-2 which occurred in Cowley County which did damage to a few outbuildings. Luckily there were no injuries or fatalities reported with these storms. There are 12 confirmed tornadoes from this event with most of them being EF-U or EF-0. These storms did produce hail ranging from quarter to golf ball size and some damaging wind gusts.
Flooding eventually became a major issue as storms trained across southeast Kansas for several hours into the wee hours of the 28th. Between April 25th and April 28th, many locations across southeast Kansas picked up between 7 and 10 inches of rainfall which sent the Neosho, Verdigris and Fall rivers into flood. Five forecast points rose to moderate flood stage. There was damage to several county roads from the flooding with complete washouts, and part of a railroad track in Wilson County was taken out from water eroding the embankment.
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 27, 1:56 AM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 256 AM CDT Sat Apr 27 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Severe storms likely this afternoon through tonight with all hazards possible. - Slight risk of severe lingers Sunday in southeast Kansas. - Unsettled with convective potential again by mid-week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 256 AM CDT Sat Apr 26 2024 Shallow moisture was returning early this morning with stratus cigs accompanying the low to mid-60s dew points. Various short term/convective allowing models continue to show a spread in outcomes regarding convective evolution/trends mainly during the daylight hours. There still is general support with some timing/placement differences in convection developing toward midday with the deeper low level moisture advection somewhere along/just east of the I-135 corridor. The main question/concern is how extensive in coverage this convection may become in the uncapped and increasingly unstable airmass in the open warm sector. If they remain somewhat more widely spaced (even though not necessarily discrete) they will pose a higher probability for large hail and a tornado given the impressive the hodographs in the point forecast soundings. The dry-line will remain more of a focus across west central Kansas during the mid to late afternoon which poses another risk area of significant severe weather/tornadoes. While somewhat more conditional, there appears there could be a window for localized convergence in concert with the stronger forcing for ascent ejecting out ahead of the main upper trof. A third area of concern will be along the warm front which will become quasi-stationary this afternoon which looks to impact areas just north of the I-70 corridor. There is much more confidence in the convective trends by later this evening and tonight where the severe threat will transition more into areas of locally heavy/training rainfall across southeast Kansas where a Flood Watch will remain in effect. The main upper low/trof will lift more bodily northeastward on Sunday through Sunday night across the Midwest/northern Plains. The surface cold front will merge with the dry-line across eastern Kansas with a renewed severe risk across southeast Kansas before exiting by Sunday evening. Low level moisture will be shunted south of the area with dry and seasonably mild weather expected for Monday, before moisture returns by mid-week providing renewed precip/convective chances across the area. Darmofal && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1238 AM CDT Fri Apr 26 2024 MVFR CIGS have returned at CNU and will do so at ICT, HUT, and SLN by sunrise. These CIGS will gradually scatter back to VFR near midday. A compact, yet strong 50-60 kt LLJ near 1.4 kt, has developed across south central KS and is contributing to LLWS conditions. LLWS conditions will subside shortly after sunrise. Otherwise, the main concern through the period is the development of severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Storms are likely to remain widely scattered therefore confidence is too low for any prevailing mention at this time. An introduction of prevailing -TSRA is probable with later outlooks. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch from this afternoon through Sunday afternoon for KSZ053-069>072-093>096-098>100. && DISCUSSION...KED AVIATION...BMB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 323 AM CDT Sat Apr 27 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-280830- 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- 323 AM CDT Sat Apr 27 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Severe thunderstorms are expected, mainly this afternoon and evening. All hazards are possible, including large hail up to baseball size, damaging wind gusts to 75 mph and tornadoes. The severe risk will transition into mainly a heavy rain threat later tonight across the Flint Hills and southeast Kansas where lowland flooding is possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday A slight risk for severe storms will continue for southeast Kansas on Sunday with a continued risk for heavy rainfall and flooding. There will be more chances for thunderstorms across much of the area from late Tuesday through Thursday night. The risk for organized severe storms appears low at this time for the mid-week periods. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is possible this afternoon and evening. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict
The Tulsa radar (KINX), 158 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:59 UTC.
12 hail, 12 tornado, 7 heavy rain, 4 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Observer measured 7.37 inches of rain in the last 24 hours in Erie; another rainfall report at the Chanute Martin Johnson Airport was 6.71 inches over the same timeframe. This resulted in flooding of multiple roads in the county and moderate flooding along the Neosho River at both Erie and Chanute.
Observer measured a total of 7.28 inches in the last 24 hours. Additional rainfall reports across the county ranged from 5.47 inches in Iola to 6 inches in Humboldt. Some of the typical roadways flooded in the county.
Observer measured 6.9 inches of rain in the last 24 hours in Longton. Flooding was reported across the county with water flowing over multiple roadways including United States Highway 160.
Heavy rain was reported by observers within a 24 hour period with 7.94 inches seven miles north northeast of Altoona, 7.71 inches near Fredonia, 7.43 inches in Neodesha and 3.27 inches near Coyville. This rain led to rises on rivers, creaks and streams which resulted in flooding across the county.
Observer measured 4.75 inches of rain east of Arkansas City by seven miles in a 24 hour period in large part due to training thunderstorms during the late afternoon into the overnight hours. There was a report of 4.42 inches in Dexter too.
A public report relayed via emergency management of an estimated 6.4 inches of rain at Road 6 and Quivira Road. The gage overflowed thus the full measurement is unknown. Additional rainfall reports were received in the county ranging from 4.02 inches in Sedan to 3.77 inches near Hale by cooperative observers. There was quite a bit of flooding and associated road damage in the western portion of the county due to rises on rivers, creeks and streams.
Trained spotter for the county in the Douglass area reported an estimated 60 mph gust as the storm moved through.
Multi-vortex damage occurred at the same farm. Each vortex was about 30 yards wide with three of five outbuildings hit on the property including two of them directly. The buildings that were directly hit included one well constructed metal building that was anchored by bolts into concrete with a steel frame. This second building was concrete brick with anchored metal structure and wood roof that was built closer to a house or sturdy garage than an outbuilding, pole barn, or farm building.
Tree damage was noted in a couple of fields with the trunks of hardwood trees snapped.
Two cedar trees had snapped trunks in the cemetery.
A couple of hardwood trees fell onto a car near a vacant house. Minimal if any damage occurred to the nearby home. A shed across the road had some tin peeled up on it, but it has open sides. A smaller tree down the road, to the north, had its trunk snapped. There was damage to a power pole and broken branches off a tree at the end of the path.
A multi-vortex brief tornado just south of Moline and secondary to the main rotation off to the north. No damage occurred.
A tornado was reported by law enforcement likely between Elk Falls and Longton. No damage occurred.
Emergency manager measured 8.9 inches of rain as the storm total for the day. Flooding was ongoing throughout the county with impassable roads.
Quarter sized hail and 55 mph winds were reported.
There was a very brief tornado in an open field. No damage occurred.
Emergency manager had an estimated 60 mph wind that lasted for 10 to 15 minutes.
Brief tornado touchdown reported with a video on Facebook just off the road. No damage occurred.
Brief touchdown with a large branch about a foot in diameter of an elm tree snapped, and an unanchored canopy barn was tossed in the air.
An old bank building from 1905 which was all brick had some loss of the roof covering.
Hail ranged from quarter to golf ball sized hail in Sycamore.
Two photos of the tornado were shared via social media. No damage was reported.
Multiple locations along United States Highway 160 were closed due to water flowing over the roadway. Other roadways were in the area were impacted with water covering them. The Longton cooperative observer measured 6.9 inches of rain during the morning hours of the 28th. Some roads were washed out in the county as well.
Emergency manager relayed quite a bit of road damage with roads washed out completely north of Cedar Vale due to rapid rises on the Caney River and its associated creeks. At Road 6 and Quivira, a rainfall gauge had 6.4 inches of rain through the following morning, but it overfilled before getting the complete total.
Heavy rain from training thunderstorms produced a range from 3.27 to 8.9 inches of reported rainfall which led to continued flooding with rises along rivers, creeks and streams. Street flooding was reported in Neodesha with water up to the hoods of cars during the evening of the 27th. Water was flowing over United States Highway 400 between Fredonia and Neodesha which led to the road being closed for two to three hours from the amount of rainfall over a short period of time. Two homes in Neodesha were inundated with water.
Part of a roof was blow off of one of the log buildings at the Old Iron Club and was laying across the road. The damage was concluded to be straight line winds as all of it went in one direction.
Brief tornado reported with no known damage.
There was noticeable debris from the rise of Crab Creek which was strewed on either side of the bridge of a rural county road. A speed limit sign was pushed over by dead branches. Tree branches, limbs, etc. were found along either side of the roadway. No flooding was occurring during the following afternoon. It is estimated that the creek rose near 20 to 30 feet to get the debris spread out as far as it was.
Heavy rainfall from training thunderstorms led to rises along rivers, creeks and streams. Observer measured 7.37 inches of rain in the last 24 hours in Erie; another rainfall report at the Chanute Martin Johnson Airport was 6.71 inches over the same timeframe. This resulted in flooding of multiple roads in the county and moderate flooding along the Neosho River at both Erie and Chanute. Some parts of the levee system broke near the Erie gage site and a few miles upstream. The impacts were flooding in fields, agricultural areas and some streets in Erie.
Heavy rain from training thunderstorms produced a range from 3.27 to 8.9 inches of reported rainfall which led to continued flooding with rises along rivers, creeks and streams. High water from Fall River closed United States Highway 400 between Neodesha and Fredonia because of water flowing over it from 6:30AM on the 28th until 7PM that evening. Additionally part of a railroad track near Iola Road south of Fredonia was washed out from the rises along the river which eroded the embankment of the track. Other county roads had water over them well after the rain ended with damage to many of them.
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: 1176495, 1176496, 1176502, 1176623, 1176626, 1176628, 1176499, 1176462, 1176463, 1167389, 1176377, 1176464, 1176384, 1176403, 1176639, 1176641, 1176491, 1176465, 1176473, 1176408, 1176586, 1176385, 1176477, 1176378, 1176379, 1176479, 1176480, 1176380, 1176481, 1176483, 1176461, 1176596, 1176605, 1176500, 1176484, 1176602, 1176406, 1176660, 1176485, 1176620, and more.