Riley County Emergency Management
On Monday, the National Weather Service provided additional information about why no tornado watch or advance warning was issued before a tornado touched down in Riley County on June 4.
According to an email from the National Weather Service (NWS), the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma City did not issue a tornado watch because forecasters did not believe storm coverage or the overall threat for hail, damaging wind, and tornadoes warranted one at the time. Forecasters had placed the area under a marginal risk for severe weather, including only a 2% tornado risk.
The National Weather Service later documented the Riley County tornado as the only tornado reported in Kansas on June 4.“Sometimes these tornadoes spin up quickly, so there are times when we rely more on spotter reports for warnings instead of the radar and environment and this was one of those cases,” NWS officials said in an email.
In an update to Riley County Commissioners, Emergency Services Director and Fire Chief Russel Stukey explained the situation saying “The National Weather Service didn’t feel that the atmospheric conditions warranted a watch. It literally came up out of nowhere.”Local residents were quick to take action and report the tornado.
After Riley County 911 dispatchers received several calls reporting a tornado on the ground near the City of Riley, dispatch operators activated outdoor warning sirens according to policy.Unfortunately, the sirens did not sound due to a mechanical failure.Outdoor warning sirens were tested Monday, June 1 and were functioning properly. Riley County Emergency Dispatch and Emergency Management personnel worked with the siren maintenance company to identify the June 4th issue as a blown fuse.
Repairs are expected to be completed this week.Riley County would like to thank the people who called in to report the tornado. Their quick action provided the only warning available for neighbors farther along the path of the storm in Leonardville and Randolph.“We are so thankful no one was injured,” said Stukey.
“This storm is a reminder for all of us to stay aware of our surroundings and changing conditions whenever a chance for severe weather exists. We saw that even a 2% chance for tornado can be a real threat, and even with advance warning systems in place, storms can happen unexpectedly.”