Finger on the Weather

A tornado destroyed the water tower in Jewell Thursday night, creating a loss of pressure in the water distribution system and prompting the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to issue a boil water advisory for residents of the Jewell County town.

Water pressure is expected to be restored this afternoon, KDHE officials said, but whenever there is a loss of pressure it is possible for contaminants to enter the system. Also, chlorine
residuals may drop to levels that are inadequate to protect against bacterial contamination.

Residents of Jewell, a town of about 500 residents 10 miles south of Mankato, are being asked to take the following steps:

Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation, or use bottled water.

Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.

Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.

If the tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.

The advisory will remain in effect until testing of water samples indicates no evidence of contamination and all other conditions which place the systems at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved.

The tornado also destroyed a trucking company and a cafe in Jewell, but no serious injuries were reported.

If the skies ahead are looking dangerous as you’re driving down the road, don’t count on law enforcement officers to pull you over and warn you that there’s a tornado coming. They may be too busy with more pressing duties to chase down motorists who are heading into potentially dangerous weather conditions.

I don’t think there is a policy on that,” said Lt. Annette Haga of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s going to depend what the situation is and what else is going on.”

Two vehicles were hit by a large tornado west of Cunningham the night of May 23; two brothers in a pickup survived, but a Colorado couple in a car was killed.

There is only one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper for every 4,300 residents of the state, Trooper Edna Buttler said, so they’re not always able to respond quickly to threats at a given location.

“If we’re aware of it and have the manpower, normally we do a pretty good job, I would say,” Buttler said.

For more on how drivers can protect themselves during threatening weather, see Sunday’s Eagle.

…on Thursday night in northwest Kansas? Eight, according to the Goodland branch of the National Weather Service. See the attached map, put together by the weather service, to help visualize the locations of the tornadoes.

#1 touched down briefly 18 miles southwest of Gove and was rated an EF-0.

#2 touched down for a very short time 10 miles south of Grinnell and also was rated EF-0.

#3 developed two miles southwest of Grainfield and fell apart six miles southwest of Hoxie. Minor shed damage was reported south of Grainfield. It was rated EF-0.

#4 developed three miles southwest of Hoxie and lifted 10 miles northwest of Hoxie. It was an EF-2, damaging a home and snapping utility poles about four miles west of Hoxie.

#5 developed four miles northeast of Hoxie and stayed on the ground for about a mile. It was rated EF-0.

#6 formed two miles southwest of Selden and moved north into Nebraska, where it dissipated two miles southwest of Marion – a track of about 30 miles. The EF-1 tornado damaged a home near Selden, overturned irrigation pivot systems and broke power poles north of Oberlin.

#7 formed two miles southwest of Dresden and traveled about 23 miles before dissipating northeast of Oberlin. Rated EF-1, the tornado damaged a home and implement shed near Leoville and buildings on a ranch east of Oberlin.

#8 developed 16 miles southeast of Gove and lifted 15 miles east of Gove. An EF-1, it damaged a house and outbuildings.

…..today in Kansas, and it covers much the same area as Thursday. The Storm Prediction Center reports “another very favorable scenario for significant severe thunderstorms over parts of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado, with the risk of strong tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds.”

Preliminary reports collected by the Goodland branch of the National Weather Service indicate nine tornadoes touched down in northwest Kansas last night. Some of those tornadoes were merely brief touchdowns, but several stayed on the ground for about 40 miles. Photos of some of the tornadoes are posted on the weather service’s Goodland Web site. Scroll down a bit to see them.

The longest-lasting tornado developed at around 5:15 p.m. near Selden and dissipated an hour later in northern Decatur County. Five homes in Decatur County and the feedlot north of Oberlin were damaged. Homes were also damaged in Sheridan County – one northwest of Selden and another northwest of Hoxie. Sheds and a barn were damaged in northern Gove County.

Thankfully, no injuries or deaths were reported from these tornadoes. A team of meteorologists is assessing storm damage in the region this morning.

The tornado that hit northern Colorado this afternoon was estimated to be a half-mile wide or more, and large tornadoes are expected in Kansas later tonight.

A tornado reported in Gove County this afternoon was moving north at more than 50 miles an hour. Now you know why meteorologists say it’s a bad idea to try to outrun a tornado in your car.

The SPC has upgraded most of the western half of Kansas to a moderate risk, and several counties in that zone to a high risk. The high risk zone includes such towns as Kinsley, Greensburg, Larned, Rozel, Ness City, Russell, Stockton, Logan and Jennings.

Given the speed at which the storms are developing – and tornadoes appear to be moving – people who live in the threatened areas should take shelter precautions immediately.