Saturday’s enhanced-to-moderate risk of severe thunderstorms verified — just not in the KVOE listening area.
Tornadoes formed in northeast Kansas and also in southeast Kansas, with confirmed tornadoes early Saturday afternoon in Brown and Nemaha counties followed by confirmed tornadoes in Cowley, Elk and Wilson counties. There was a reported tornado approaching Fall River and Fall River State Park as well.
There was also quarter-sized hail near Toronto in Greenwood County during the main severe weather activity, along with brief small hail near downtown Emporia around midnight.
One part of the forecast that verified for part of the area was flooding. Southern Coffey County is in a warning until 8 am after up to 2.5 inches of rain fell through early Sunday with another 1-1.5 inches possible.
Meanwhile, Greenwood County was among several in south-central Kansas until 9 a.m. Sunday. The National Weather Service says Greenwood and counties to the southwest got anywhere from 2-6 inches of rain Saturday with another 1-3 inches possible before storms end early Sunday.
Locally, street ponding was noted in the usual central Emporia areas like Ninth between Rural to West and at 12th and Rural.
Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties are on a watch until 10 am, with Chase and Greenwood counties on a watch until 1 pm. Sunday still has a marginal-to-slight severe weather risk for all hazards, although the main concerns are 60 mph wind and hail to the size of ping pong balls.
Rain reports as of 2 am Sunday:
*KVOE studios: 1.5 inches
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.78 inches
*3.5 miles west of Emporia Golf Course: 0.75 inches
*Ninth and Burns: 2 inches
*18th and Briarcliff: 0.75 inches
*Country Club Heights: 0.87 inches
*Road 180 and D: 0.80 inches
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates. If you have storm or rainfall reports, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.
5:30 pm Saturday: Tornado warning continues for southeast Greenwood County
Severe weather activity continues across southeast Kansas.
A tornado warning affects southeast Greenwood County until 5:45 pm after a confirmed tornado approached Fall River and Fall River State Park. Details are pending, but the storm producing the confirmed tornado has also generated a tornado that moved towards Howard. The Dexter area also had a confirmed tornado as part of the storm complex.
Storms have also produced heavy rain, prompting a flood warning for Greenwood County until 11:30 pm Saturday.
Storm reports
*2 miles southwest of Toronto: Quarter-sized hail
Rain reports
*KVOE studios: 1 inch
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.78 inches
*3.5 miles west of Emporia Golf Course: 0.75 inches
*Road 180 and D: 0.80 inches
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
4:30 pm Saturday: Brief heavy rain falls across area; damage reports pending after severe thunderstorm warnings
Damage reports are pending after heavy thunderstorm activity across much of the KVOE listening area Saturday afternoon.
Two clusters of storms generated severe thunderstorm warnings for portions of Lyon, Chase, Greenwood and Morris counties.
Isolated power outages have also been noted in Emporia, Olpe and Osage City.
2:50 pm Saturday: Tornado Watch issued for KVOE Listening Area until 7 pm
Strong storms have started to move into the KVOE listening area.
Emporia and southwest Lyon County is in a severe thunderstorm warning until 3:15 pm, as is southeast Morris County. Wind gusts to 60 mph are the main concern. Other warnings are up as well. Click here for the current list:
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Lyon, Coffey, Chase, Greenwood, Morris, Wabaunsee and Osage Counties until 7 pm
All hazards remain possible, and the National Weather Service continues to mention hail greater than egg size, wind gusts up to 70 mph and strong tornadoes as concerns. Heavy rainfall, up to 2.5 inches, is also possible from mid-evening Saturday into early Sunday, so flood watches are already announced for all area counties Saturday into Sunday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for forecast updates and instant on-air and online alerts in case of severe weather. If you have severe weather or rain totals to report, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.
11:45 am Saturday: Handful of community, school events postponed or canceled ahead of severe weather risk
Forecasts remain on track for a possibly severe weather event for much of Saturday afternoon through the night hours.
Storms could begin moving into the western portions of the KVOE listening area by early afternoon and approaching Emporia by mid-afternoon. Storms from Oklahoma could begin approaching the area by late afternoon or early evening.
All hazards remain possible, and the National Weather Service continues to mention hail greater than egg size, wind gusts up to 70 mph and strong tornadoes as concerns. Heavy rainfall, up to 2.5 inches, is also possible from mid-evening Saturday into early Sunday, so flood watches are already announced for all area counties Saturday into Sunday.
With the severe weather risk possibly developing Saturday afternoon, several public shelters will be available if needed.
*Chase County: Chase County Elementary School, Chase County High School, Lake Kahola
*Morris County: Morris County Courthouse basement
*Kansas Turnpike Authority: Emporia mile marker 127, Emporia service exit mile marker 132, Matfield Green service exit 97, Admire-Council Grove mile marker 147
Emporia and Lyon County do not have any designated public shelters. Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell encourages residents to make sure they have a sheltering plan in place before storms move across the area, regardless of their event and travel circumstances this weekend.
Several community or school activities have been postponed or have announced potential readjustments.
*Beacon for Hope Suicide Prevention has canceled its third annual Mad Sad Glad event Saturday.
*Bloom House Youth Services has postponed its Dungeons and Dragons activity Saturday.
*Camp Wood YMCA open house Saturday has been canceled.
*Emporia High promenade Saturday has moved inside Emporia State Memorial Union.
*ESU Stingers dance team auditions have been postponed to May 5.
*SOS community ride Saturday was canceled.
*USD 243 Lebo High School is tentatively planned for prom Saturday, but the school says nobody will leave the school if storms are underway during prom and the school will not dismiss students to after-prom in case of storms. If after-prom needs to be postponed, it will be held in early May.
*USD 284 Chase County will have prom Saturday. Promenade will be in the north gymnasium at 8 pm, followed by prom in high school west gymnasium and after-prom activities in the high school commons.
*USD 390 Hamilton prom has been postponed to Sunday evening. Promenade will begin at 6 pm at the elementary school west side.
*USD 330 Mission Valley has postponed prom until May 4.
5 am Saturday: Area under enhanced to moderate risk for all hazards Saturday
Strong and severe thunderstorms look to be possible areawide Saturday afternoon and evening.
National Weather Service meteorologist John Woynick tells KVOE News there could be two rounds of storms crossing the area later noon.
All hazards are possible, including egg-sized hail or larger, wind gusts up to 70 mph and a few strong to violent tornadoes. Most of the KVOE listening area is in an enhanced risk, or Level 3 risk from the Storm Prediction Center, but areas along and south of a line from LeRoy to Eureka to Leon are in a moderate risk or Level 4.
Flooding is also a concern, especially by mid-evening through the overnight hours into Sunday.
This follows the 1.5-3.5 inches of rain areawide Thursday.
Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties are in a flood watch from noon Saturday to 10 am Sunday. Chase and Greenwood counties are in a separate flood watch from 4 pm Saturday to 1 pm Sunday. The flood warning for the Neosho River at Emporia that was issued Friday has been canceled.
Saturday’s severe weather potential follows an active Friday, which saw tornadoes confirmed in Allen, Bourbon and Wilson counties and two tornado warnings for Greenwood County. It also precedes another round of potential severe weather activity Sunday, which still has a marginal to slight risk for the afternoon and evening hours — with the slight risk ongoing along and east of Kansas Highway 99. Hail up to the size of ping pong balls, Gusts to 60 mph and isolated tornadoes are possible.
With more severe weather possible through the upcoming weekend, be sure to stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for forecast updates and instant on-air and online alerts in case of severe weather. If you have severe weather or rain totals to report, message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.
