National Weather Service survey crews may have a challenge as they track tornado damage north and west of Emporia on Friday.
Meteorologist Matt Wolters says surveyors may not have a lot to work with, aside from structure and boat damage at Lake Kahola from a tornado Thursday night.
The atmospheric setup was conducive to small, short-lived tornadoes. It also evolved in such a way that supercell structure, or rotating updrafts that can extend to ground level as tornadoes, was evident in some locations as storms looked like a line while they advanced to the east.
Lake Kahola had upwards of 15 units damaged, not including an Airbnb. Four boats were flipped. Four garages were destroyed.
Survey crews typically have their investigations done and early investigations published by late afternoon the day after a tornado incident.
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12 am Friday: Nearly 20 Lake Kahola structures, four boats damaged by Thursday tornado
Slow-moving thunderstorms caused at least one confirmed tornado northwest of Emporia on Thursday evening, and the National Weather Service plans to survey damage tracks Friday.
A cluster of storms crossed over Lake Kahola early in the evening, dropping a tornado that damaged at least 13 units, damaged an Airbnb, demolished four garages and flipped four boats. Several limestone fence posts were also ripped out of the ground. Emporia’s Radio Stations co-owner Jamie Sauder called it a “close encounter of the first kind.”
From that vantage point, Sauder says he could see a lot of damage.
Lake Kahola Manager Jason Passmore had another angle, but he got to see the twister up close as well.
Along with the damage, the storm knocked out power to the lake buildings for hours afterward. Even with all that, Passmore says the situation could have been a lot worse.
Tornado touchdowns were also reported near Dunlap and Bushong. It is too early to say whether those were the same tornado or different ones.
Tornadoes northwest of Emporia were part of an event that included two main cells or line segments, both dropping heavy rain and the south cell also responsible for hail from egg- to baseball-size in Marion County. Severe hail reports were isolated.
*2 miles southwest of Madison: 1-inch hail
*9 miles east of Matfield Green: 1-inch hail
Wind damage was also isolated.
*1 mile south-southwest of Burlington: One building lost its roof. Scattered tree damage across Burlington
*5 miles north-northeast of Gridley: Damage to one outbuilding
Over 800 Evergy customers lost power at times during the storms, including over 700 in central Osage County.
Rainfall totals were commonplace Thursday evening, with more likely Friday morning.
*KVOE studios: 0.70 inches
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 0.41 inches
*Deerbrook Addition: 0.50 inches
*10th and Wever: 1.05 inches
*1100 block Constitution: 0.60 inches
*3.5 miles west of Emporia Golf Course: 0.50 inches
*1 mile north of Allen: 0.90 inches
*Americus: 1.10 inches
*Eureka Milliken Airport: 0.28 inches
*Kansas Highway 99 at Lyon-Greenwood county line: 1 inch
*2 miles southwest of Olpe: 2.50 inches
*Reading: 1.50 inches
*200 block Road 340: 1.08 inches
*Strong City: 1.30 inches
*Toledo: 0.46 inches
Thursday’s storms developed in an enhanced risk area — one of the rare times an enhanced risk designation has verified to this extent for Lyon or surrounding counties. More storms, including severe weather chances, are ahead for Saturday and Sunday. Lyon County Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says this should be a reminder for everybody when it comes to severe weather planning.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
10:30 pm Thursday
Slow-moving thunderstorms caused at least one confirmed tornado northwest of Emporia on Thursday evening, and the National Weather Service plans to survey damage tracks Friday.
A cluster of storms crossed over Lake Kahola early in the evening, dropping a tornado that damaged at least 13 units, damaged an Airbnb, demolished four garages and flipped four boats. No injuries were reported. Power was offline for several hours after the storms blew through.
Tornado touchdowns were also reported near Dunlap and Bushong. It is too early to say whether those were the same tornado or different ones.
Tornadoes northwest of Emporia were part of an event that included two main cells or line segments, both dropping heavy rain and the south cell also responsible for hail from egg- to baseball-size in Marion County.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
Photos by KVOE News reporters and KVOE listeners
