Dangerous Fire Conditions in the Southern High Plains; Severe Weather from the Great Lakes into Central/Southern Plains; Late-Season Mountain Snow

Dry and windy conditions will produce dangerous fire weather conditions across the southern High Plains into the Southwest. Severe storms, including very large hail, strong tornadoes, and winds, are expected from the Great Lakes into the central/southern Plains. Heavy late-season snow and cold temperatures are expected in the northern to central Rockies. Heat is spreading across the eastern U.S.. Read More >

Low topped supercell thunderstorms that moved through portions of east central Kansas the afternoon of Friday, September 12 prompted the National Weather Service in Topeka to issue tornado warnings for Eastern Douglas County. A damage survey Friday evening indicated one confirmed tornado that produced damage south of Eudora. A special thanks goes out to Douglas County Emergency Management for assisting with the storm survey.

A map of the path of the EF-1 tornado that moved though the 9 and 10 hundred blocks on E 2300 rd Friday afternoon. The tornado appeared to have been on the ground for the entire 0.6 mile (1056 yards) length and produced damage consistent with an EF-1 tornado producing winds of approximately 90 mph.

From top left going clockwise... 1. A picture of the tornado 2. A picture of a large barn with roof damage 3. A picture of a tree split in half (Photos 1-3 courtesy of Darin Brunin) 4. A picture of a shed that was completely destroyed. *Click on any image below for a larger view*

A Public Information Statement (PNS) that includes more detailed information from the damage survey is included below.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
943 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008

...PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY OF DOUGLAS COUNTY TORNADO...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS HAVE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF
THE DAMAGED PRODUCED BY A TORNADO SOUTH OF EUDORA DURING THE
AFTERNOON OF 12 SEPTEMBER 2008. FOLLOWING ARE THE PRELIMINARY
FINDINGS OF THIS SURVEY.

THE PRELIMINARY RATING IS AN EF1 WITH WINDS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN
90 MPH. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 0.9 MILE WITH A
MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 50 YARDS.

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST NORTH OF N 900 RD AND WEST OF E
2300 RD APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF EUDORA. IT THEN
PROCEEDED NORTH NORTHEAST AND HIT SEVERAL STRUCTURES ALONG E 2300
RD DESTROYING A GARAGE AND SMALL BARN. A LARGER BARN SUSTAINED
ROOF DAMAGE AND A PICKUP TRUCK WAS PUSHED 50 YARDS FROM IT
ORIGINAL POSITION BY THE WINDS. THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED OFF THE
GROUND BEFORE REACHING N 1000 RD.

THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND
MAY BE AMENDED OR ADDED TO IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS.

$$

WOLTERS

Below are radar images from 455 PM CDT September 12 2008, about the time of the damage pictured above.

Above: Reflectivity image from 455 PM CDT September 12 2008.

Above: Storm-relative velocity image from 455 PM CDT September 12 2008. Area of rotation showing up south-southeast of Eudora near the Douglas/Johnson county line.

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Dangerous Fire Conditions in the Southern High Plains; Severe Weather from the Great Lakes into Central/Southern Plains; Late-Season Mountain Snow

Tornado Damage in Eastern Douglas County September 2008 - NWS Topeka, KS