An intense complex of thunderstorms moved across portions of central and south-central Kansas during the late evening hours of June 20th into the morning hours of June 21st. Several reports of damaging winds were gathered along with a brief tornado near the Harvey-Sedgwick County line.
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.
An intense complex of thunderstorms moved across portions of central and south-central Kansas during the late evening hours of June 20th into the morning hours of June 21st. Several reports of damaging winds were gathered along with a brief tornado near the Harvey-Sedgwick County line.
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 Jun 20, 4:50 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 550 PM CDT Sat Jun 20 2026 ...Updated Aviation Discussion... .KEY MESSAGES... - Numerous storms expected this evening through Sunday morning with severe storms and flooding likely. - Additional round of storms likely late Sunday afternoon into Sunday night mainly in southeast and southern KS with severe storms and flooding possible. - Below normal high temperatures are forecast for much of next week with highs in the 80s and periodic rain chances possible. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 224 PM CDT Sat Jun 20 2026 An upper shortwave trough is tracking east across the Central Great Basin towards the Central Rockies with lee troughing strengthening over much of the Rockies. A surface low is in eastern Colorado with a warm front extending across northern Kansas. There are ongoing showers and storms in central Nebraska due to 850-700mb warm moist advection. This activity is moving southeast making it possible to clip our central counties late this afternoon. Another round of storms is expected to develop this afternoon in eastern Colorado and eastern Wyoming from upslope flow and convergence, resulting in another round of storms impacting our area. These storms are anticipated to move into western Nebraska and western Kansas and grow upscale as the upper shortwave continues to move into the Central Rockies. This round of storms would likely impact central KS after about 9 PM. There is still uncertainty with how far south and east this MCS tracks with some guidance suggesting another MCS diving southeast out of Nebraska through much of our area in the late overnight hours into Sunday morning. The main threats continue to be damaging winds with gusts up to 60-80 mph and potentially flooding concerns. Heavy rainfall is likely given the moist airmass with PWATs approaching maximum values for this time of year, increasing the potential for high rainfall rates; however, if this system remains progressive, it could reduce some widespread flooding. A brief tornado and hail threat cannot be ruled out especially this evening if storms develop out ahead of the MCS but the main concern is damaging winds. By Sunday morning, activity is expected to have shifted to eastern KS with storms progged to continue moving east into Missouri by mid morning, though chances may linger in southeast KS from low-level WAA. A lull in storms is forecast for late Sunday morning through the early afternoon before another round of storms is possible late Sunday afternoon. There is some question as to where the outflow boundary from overnight/Sunday morning convection will end up. Model guidance suggests a boundary across southeast KS with convergence along it, resulting in additional storm development mainly in southeast and parts of southern KS. Assuming this is where the boundary sets up, plenty of instability and wind shear are anticipated making any storm that develops having the potential to be severe with the primary hazards being damaging winds and large hail. Storm chances will start to diminish Sunday night as storms move south and east of the area. Additionally, its possible for some of our southern most counties to approach Heat Advisory criteria if this is where the boundary sets up, though given uncertainty at this time decided not to issue one, though later forecast shifts can reevaluate. Continuing into next week, most of Monday looks to remain dry as the front will be south of our area. Periodic rain chances look possible for much of the week as the upper air pattern remains relatively active as multiple shortwave troughs are progged to move across the region. A shortwave trough is expected to move into the Northern Plains late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Its possible for rain chances to clip parts of our area but better chances remain out of our area. Flow aloft transitions to westerly/northwesterly over the Plains as ridging builds into the western CONUS with embedded shortwaves anticipated to ride the ridging. This will keep periodic shower and storm chances possible through much of the week with higher chances likely in the evenings into the overnight hours. For temperatures, highs are forecast to be in the low to mid 80s through much of the work week which is about 5-10 degrees below normal for this time of year. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/... Issued at 548 PM CDT Sat Jun 20 2026 High confidence that a few rounds of scattered to numerous thunderstorms will track east-southeast through the region later this evening through early to mid-morning Sunday. For now included a mix of TEMPO and PROB30 groups to cover this threat. Large hail, damaging straight-line winds, and very heavy rainfall may accompany the strongest activity. Another round of isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms is possible by late Sunday afternoon over southern Kansas. The ICT and CNU TAF sites would have the highest chances for this activity. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through Sunday afternoon for KSZ033-048-049- 051>053. Flood Watch from 1 AM CDT Sunday through Sunday evening for KSZ070>072. && DISCUSSION...GC AVIATION...ADK
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 227 PM CDT Sat Jun 20 2026 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-211930- 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- 227 PM CDT Sat Jun 20 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central Kansas, east central Kansas, south central Kansas and southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight A complex of storms is expected to track out of northwest Kansas and southern Nebraska tonight into early Sunday morning, affecting much of the area. 60 to 80 mph winds, ping pong ball size hail, heavy rain and some flooding concerns will be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Storms will linger Sunday morning across eastern Kansas with damaging winds and flooding possible. Additional storms are expected to develop Sunday afternoon and evening, especially across southern Kansas. Large hail, damaging downburst winds and flooding will be possible with the stronger storms. Periodic storm chances will remain for Tuesday through Friday with strong and severe storms possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated this afternoon or tonight. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 155 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:45 UTC.
18 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Delayed report from social media of a Semi flipped on I-70 near Russell. Time estimated from radar.
Measured at the Russell Airport.
Delayed report of a semi blown over on US-156 east of Great Bend. The time was estimated via radar. Report received by the Great Bend Post Digital News.
Delayed report of six 12-15 inch diameter trees uprooted across town, and several 6-8 inch diameter tree limbs down.
Measured at the Russell Airport.
Measured at the Great Bend Airport.
Measured at a personal weather station.
Estimated wind gust.
Report received via social media.
Measured via a personal weather station.
Delayed report of a large wooden swing set and fence damaged as well as tree limbs down. Time was estimated via radar.
Delayed report of several large tree limbs broken.
Estimated wind gusts up to 70 mph.
Public report of a secured gas grill being blown into a dining room window and shattering it.
Social media pictures show damage to a roof of a home east of Kechi. Precise location unknown and time estimated from radar.
Wind gusts near 70 mph with tree limbs breaking.
Measured via a personal weather station.
A brief tornado developed and quickly intensified over one property. The brunt of the damage was to a double wide manufactured home that was bolted to a poured basement foundation. This home was lifted and completely taken apart with the frame bent and twisted. Unfortunately there was a fatality for this resident who was thrown in the field to the north of the property. Most of the debris from the home and two outbuildings was pushed to the northeast into an open field and could be found for six miles to the northeast. A neighboring house to the west had damage to the edge of the roof and siding from debris tossed into it, but there wasn't other damage to that property. The power pole was still upright, but the lines had been taken down. There were no remaining cedar trees on the north side of the property as viewed from satellite and street view which were part of the debris to the northeast.
The tornado started in northern Sedgwick County and crossed into southern Harvey County. Debris from the damage to the home in Sedgwick was strewn into the field and for six miles to the northeast. Given no visible continued damage to anything originating in this county, the path was limited to the field.
Measured via a personal weather station.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado, Sedgwick | 2026-06-21 | 64 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2026Warnings in Kansas, June 2026
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: 1350914, 1350915, 1350916, 1350917, 1350918, 1350919, 1350920, 1350921, 1350922, 1350923, 1350924, 1350925, 1350926, 1350927, 1350928, 1350929, 1350930, 1351271, 1351277, 1350931.