An isolated storm developed on the evening of March 10 in far eastern Douglas County. This produced small hail in Douglas County before producing much larger hail farther east outside of the TOP forecast area.
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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 TOP wrote it up.
An isolated storm developed on the evening of March 10 in far eastern Douglas County. This produced small hail in Douglas County before producing much larger hail farther east outside of the TOP forecast area. A few hours later, more widespread storms developed along a cold front in eastern KS. These produced more small hail, as well as an isolated corridor of very strong 65-85 mph winds that caused notable damage in Anderson County.
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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 10, 4:44 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 544 PM CDT Tue Mar 10 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Thunderstorms become likely (60-80% chance) in east central KS this evening, mainly along and south of I-35. Some of these could pose a risk for primarily hail and wind, then flooding overnight. - Thursday brings widespread elevated fire danger to the area. - Temperatures turn cooler Wednesday, then trend warmer to the end of the week, followed by a brief return to winter early next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 246 PM CDT Tue Mar 10 2026 Northern stream trough has developed across the Rockies today while a closed low slowly moves across northern Mexico. At the surface, low pressure has been slowly moving across the forecast area. The cold front appears to be about halfway across as of 19z, along a line from Salina to Hiawatha, just barely west of MHK. Gusty south winds have helped temperatures surge into the low to mid 80s ahead of the front, while locations behind it have seen much lighter winds and are stuck in the 50s and 60s. Focus has been on severe thunderstorms potential later today. CAMs seem to be in decently good agreement on storms firing along the front near the I-35 corridor, with some differences in timing. The NAM Nest has the earliest initiation time around 00z, with some others holding off until closer to 02-03z. SBCAPE ahead of the front is forecast to be 2000-3000 J/kg with 40-50 kts of effective shear, plenty sufficient for severe storms. If development occurs on the early side of the guidance, that would provide a very narrow window for surface-based storms. For this reason, can't entirely rule out the possibility of a tornado with the initial development of storms along the front, but that window of opportunity would end quickly once they interact with each other and congeal into a line. Additionally, the longer storms hold off this evening past sunset, the more we lose our instability at the surface with storms more likely becoming elevated. There is still 1500-2500 J/kg of MUCAPE to work with in that more probable scenario. This would present more of a hail and wind threat at the onset. Eventually, with shear being oriented parallel to the front, any storm hazards would transition more to a flood concern as we get into the overnight hours as storms backbuild potentially over some of the same places that recently received more rainfall. Some post-frontal storms may move through overnight, particularly south of I-70, although these would have less instability and should be mostly beneficial rain. All rain is progged move east by mid-morning with a much cooler and drier air mass in place behind the front. Highs are forecast in the 50s with breezy northwest winds before high pressure fully moves in Wednesday evening. That sfc high quickly gets pushed south into Thursday with a clipper system moving across the Northern Plains. This helps to tighten the pressure gradient and creates a windy day as low-level flow returns to the southwest. This will be the day to watch for elevated fire concerns area-wide with winds gusting to 30- 40mph along with temperatures trending warmer amid a dry air mass. Dry weather continues into the first part of the weekend along with warming temperatures. A more potent wave dives southeast across the central part of the country, which may bring some rain/snow to the area Saturday night into Sunday morning. PoPs have increased some with this system and the probabilities for snow accumulation look low at this time, but will need to continue to monitor. At the very least, more winter-like temperatures look to make a brief return before temperatures moderate by mid-week. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 544 PM CDT Tue Mar 10 2026 VFR conditions to start before showers and storms move towards terminals this evening and become more likely overnight. The initial round of showers/storms will largely be focused southeast of terminals, although KTOP/KFOE look to be clipped by some of this activity. More widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms develop between 07-09z, shifting east into Wednesday morning. MVFR cigs are likely Wednesday morning before VFR conditions return by early afternoon. Winds become gusty from the north-northwest overnight and remain so through the end of the TAF period. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 246 PM CDT Tue Mar 10 2026 Fire headlines may be needed Thursday in some portion of the area with windy conditions likely gusting to 30-40mph. RH values are still in flux, leading to some uncertainty in where exactly we could get to 20% or lower, but this appears most favored in parts of north central and northeast KS. East central KS areas could possibly remain above 30%, but it still doesn't look like a good day for burning with the winds in place. Would expect to see very high rangeland fire danger area-wide at the very least at this point. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Picha AVIATION...Flanagan FIRE WEATHER...Picha
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 250 PM CDT Tue Mar 10 2026 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-112000- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 250 PM CDT Tue Mar 10 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. There is a risk for severe thunderstorms this evening primarily across areas along and southeast of the Interstate 35 corridor. The main concerns with the storms continues to be large hail and damaging winds. A tornado cannot be entirely ruled out as storms initially develop, but this is a very low threat. Parts of east central Kansas that have recently seen heavy rain and flooding could see renewed flooding from the heavy rainfall during the overnight period. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected to set up across the area on Thursday. .SPOTTER MESSAGE Spotters are encouraged to report damaging hail or wind as well as rainfall amounts over one inch to the National Weather Service in Topeka. && More detailed information can be found at: www.weather.gov/media/top/DssPacket.pdf
The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:19 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
WFO EAX relayed report of nickel size hail in Eudora from an off-duty AOMC employee.
Nickel size hail reported in New Strawn.
Storm survey found straight-line wind damage found consistent with a downburst. Estimated peak winds of 65-70 MPH. Two areas of outdoor sheds badly damaged or completely destroyed, a few power poles snapped and occasional 2 to 4 inch tree branches broken.
Storm survey was conducted and found damage consistent with a downburst wind event. High end damage included broken power and light poles, destroyed farm outbuildings and numerous downed trees and large branches (hardwood). Wind core was 2 mi wide and 6 mi long. Estimated peak winds of 80-85 MPH.
Kansas State Mesonet site Welda 3E recorded a 58 mph gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, March 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: 1316187, 1316188, 1316189, 1316190, 1316191.