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Weather trivia for July

 

Jul 1, 1991
Two inches of rain fell in 30 minutes about 3 and a half miles
south southeast of Trousdale Kansas. The heavy rain washed out
roads and left water holes that measured 100 feet long.
IN 1999...Widespread golfball to softball hail produced a tremendous
amount of damage in Garden City but miraculously there were no injuries.
Almost every house in Garden City sustained damage and all vehicles
left in the elements received hail dents or broken windows. The
severity of the storm was also unique in that it occurred well after
midnight. Property damage in Garden City was 53 million dollars.


Jul 2, 1843
An alligator reportedly fell from the sky onto Anson Street in
Charleston SC during a thunderstorm.


Jul 3, 1994
A weakening thunderstorm just after midnight produced damage in
northeast Dodge City. Skylights were blown off houses.
Basketball goals and fences were downed from wind estimates to
85 mph. During the late afternoon hours, several incidents of large hail
were reported in and around Dodge City for a fifteen minute
period. There was considerable damage to roofs and automobiles.
Half an hour later another thunderstorm produced hail damage to
roofs on the outskirts of Dodge City.


Jul 4, 1932
A massive tornado struck Washington Kansas destroying 50 homes
and killing 5 people.
IN 1956...A world record for the most rain in one minute was set at
Unionville Maryland with a downpour of 1.23 inches.


Jul 5, 1997
Severe thunderstorms developed over western Kansas during the
afternoon hours. In Manter, an elderly man and two children were
injured by a lightning bolt. All three had to be revived by CPR
and all three were burned. Witnesses said they heard thunder
only a couple of times but saw no lightning. In western Kansas,
very strong thunderstorm winds blew over a semi and a winnebago
on Interstate 70 two miles south of Voda in Trego county.
IN 2010...A 24 hour record for precipitation was set at Dodge City
when 6.95 inches of rain fell from the evening of the 4th to the
morning hours of the 5th.


Jul 6, 1893
A violent tornado killed 71 persons on its forty mile track
across northwestern Iowa. Forty nine persons were killed around
Pomeroy, where eighty percent of the buildings were destroyed,
with most leveled to the ground. Photos showed most of the town
without a wall or tree left standing.
IN 1986...Thunderstorm rains at mid morning, and again during the
evening, produced major flash flooding at Leavenworth Kansas. The
official rainfall total was 10.37 inches, but unofficial totals
exceeded twelve inches.


Jul 7, 1987
Temperatures fluctuated at Greensburg Kansas from 75 at 7 am to
95 in a few minutes then dropped back to 86 by 8 am. This was
accompanied by dust devils and strange clouds.
IN 1996...At Healy Kansas, a large tree was uprooted by strong
thunderstorm winds, a roof was partially blown off a senior
center and 13 power lines were down between Healy and Amy.

Jul 8, 1978
The high of 109 degrees tied the record high for the month of July
at Dodge City.
In 1992...Severe thunderstorms produced a very long downburst at
Concordia Kansas. Peak one minute sustained winds reached 108 mph at
Concordia Airport and exceeded 60 mph for over 20 minutes. Six
people were injured and damage was estimated at $25 million.


Jul 9, 1860
A hot blast of air in the middle of a sweltering summer pushed
the mercury up to 115 degrees at Fort Scott Kansas and Lawrence
Kansas, and 112 degrees at Topeka.


Jul 10, 1905
The low of 46 degrees set the record low for the month of July
at Dodge City.
In 1913...The temperature hit 134 degrees at Greenland Ranch in
Death Valley California, which is the world recored. Sandstorm
conditions accompanied the heat.


Jul 11, 1883
A tornado hit the edge of Cimarron Kansas. Six buildings,
including one home, were destroyed.


Jul 12, 1951
The Kaw River flood occurred. The month of June that year was
the wettest of record for the state of Kansas, and during the
four days preceding the flood much of eastern Kansas and western
Missouri received more than ten inches of rain. Flooding in the
midwest claimed 41 lives, left 200 thousand persons homeless,
and caused a billion dollars property damage. Kansas City was
hardest hit. The central industrial district sustained 870
million dollars property damage.
IN 1989...Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains of up to 6
inches in two hours time that caused minor flooding in some areas
of southwest Kansas. In Dodge City, 4 inches of rain caused some
basement flooding while many fields were under water for a short
time in Finney County.
IN 1991...Fifteen miles northeast of St.John Kansas, two oil tank
batteries were ignited by lightning. A loud explosion was heard
and the blaze lasted for over an hour.


Jul 13, 1990
The low of 46 degrees tied the record low for the month of July
at Dodge City.
IN 1993...Heavy rains of three to five inches in an hour caused
flooding of streets and roads in Dodge City. A total of 15 cars
were washed down 3rd Avenue with seven cars being piled up on top
of each other at 3rd Avenue and Vine street. People had to be
rescued from their cars. Wyatt Earp Boulevard was also flooded.
Standing water of one and a half to two feet was reported in
southwestern Dodge City. In south central Kansas, heavy rains
in Kiowa county caused widespread flooding and as much as eight
inches of rain was reported in portions of the county. The
Rattlesnake Creek was out of its banks throughout the county and
was reported to be as wide as five miles near the Edwards county
line. Railroad tracks were washed out south of Kiowa County Lake.
The water subsided around 5 am the next day.


Jul 14, 1936
Extreme heat prevailed across the central U.S. as severe drought
raged from Texas to the Dakotas. Record high temperatures were
established in sixteen states that summer, including readings as
high as 120 degrees in the Great Plains Region. On this particular
date, afternoon highs for 113 stations across the state of Iowa
averaged 108.7 degrees.


Jul 15, 1983
The Big Thompson Creek in Colorado flooded for the second time in
seven years, claiming three lives, and filling the town of Estes
Park with eight to ten feet of water.


Jul 16, 1920
A severe hailstorm over parts of Antelope and Boone counties in
Nebraska stripped trees of bark and foliage, ruined roofs, and broke
nearly every window facing north.


Jul 17, 1934
One of the worst heat waves in the history of the nation
commenced. During the last two weeks of the month extreme heat
claimed 679 lives in Michigan, including 30 in Detroit alone.
IN 1987...Slow moving thunderstorms caused flooding on the Guadalupe
River in Texas resulting in tragic losses of life. A bus and van
leaving a summer youth camp stalled near the rapidly rising
river, just west of the town of Comfort, and a powerful surge of
water swept away 43 persons, mostly teenagers. Ten drowned in
the floodwaters. Most of the others were rescued from tree tops
by helicopter.


Jul 18, 1889
A cloudburst in West Virginia along the small creeks in Wirt,
Jackson and Wood counties claimed twenty lives. Rockport West
Virginia reported nineteen inches of rain in two hours and ten
minutes that Thursday evening. Tygart Creek rose 22 feet in one
hour, and villages were swept away on Tygart, Slate, Tucker, and
Sandy creeks.
IN 1936...The high of 109 degrees tied the record high for the month
of July at Dodge City.
IN 1993...In south central Kansas, heavy rains in and around Stafford
County caused flooding of the normally dry Antelope Creek.
Flooding of roads and streets began in Radium during the morning
hours. Some sandbagging was done in the town. After 4 pm the
Antelope Creek overflowed its banks and contributed to more
flooding in the Radium area. The flooding continued until the
morning hours on the 19th. Basements were filled with water in
some homes. This was the worst flooding in Radium since the
spring of 1973. Flooding continued until about 9 am on the 19th.
Large areas of the Quivira Waterfowl Refuge were flooded also.


Jul 19, 1977
Thunderstorms produced torrential rains over parts of
southwestern Pennsylvania. Some places received more than twelve
inches in a seven hour period. The heavy rains caused flash
flooding along streams resulting in widespread severe damage.
The cloudburst flooded Johnstown with up to ten feet of water
resulting in 76 deaths, countless injuries, and 424 million
dollars damage.


Jul 20, 1930
The temperature at Washington D.C. soared to an all-time record
of 106 degrees. The next day Hillsboro reached 110 degrees to set
a record for the state of Delaware. July 1930 was one of the hottest
and driest summers in the U.S., particularily in the Missouri Valley
where severe drought conditions developed. Toward the end of the
month state records were set for Kentucky with 114 degrees, and
Mississippi with 115 degrees.


Jul 21, 1993
Heavy rains in and around west central and central Kansas caused
the Walnut Creek to flood through Rush county. Flooding began
during the morning hours. Most homes in Alexander had flooded
basements. Water covered highway 96 between Alexander and Nekoma.
Highway 183 south of Rush Center was covered by 20 inches of water
and was closed to most traffic. Several families were evacuated as
three feet of water covered most streets in Timken. The Timken post
office, mid state coop, Timken seed company, and six residential
blocks were flooded. The Big Timber Creek went out of its banks
south of Liebenthal and flooded highway 183. A highway
construction project at the Big Timber Creek was completely
under water. Flood conditions ended by 10 am on the 24th.
Heavy rains across west-central and central kansas from july 18th
to july 24th caused flooding along the Pawnee River from Burdett
to Larned. Highway 183 in Sanford was closed due to flood
conditions on july 23rd. Flooding subsided by about 9 pm on the
24th.


Jul 22, 1918
A single bolt of lightning struck 504 sheep dead in their tracks
at the Wasatch National Forest in Utah. Sheep often herd together
in storms, and as a result the shock from the lightning bolt was
passed from one animal to another.


Jul 23, 1936
The high of 109 degrees tied the record high for the month of July
at Dodge City.
In 1995...In Dodge City, thunderstorm winds to 100 mph caused
extensive damage to fences. One filling station canopy was downed
and it landed on two occupied vehicles but there were no injuries.
One roof was taken off a house with debris scattered several hundred
yards. A large storage shed was heavily damaged with two motor
homes inside receiving extensive damage. Debris was carried one
quarter of a mile.
IN 1996...Hail up to 4 inches in diameter damaged almost every
roof in the town of Protection in Comanche county. Some windows
were broken and 30 to 50 percent of the crop was lost.
IN 2010...A hailstone that measured 8 inches in diameter fell in
Vivian South Dakota. It also weighed 1 pound and 15 ounces.
Both measurements were national records.


Jul 24, 1936
A record high temperature was set for Kansas with a reading of
121 degrees near Alton.
IN 1939...In west central Kansas, a tornado hit 15 miles south
of Leoti. A large barn was destroyed and a bull was killed.
IN 1980...Claudette, a weak tropical Storm, deluged southeastern
Texas with torrential rains. The Houston suburb of Alvin received
43 inches, a 24 hour record for the United States.


Jul 25, 1956
The Andrea Doria sank in dense fog near Nantucket Lightship
Massachusetts. The ship was rammed by the Swedish American
liner, Stockholm, 45 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.
Fifty two persons drowned, or were killed by the impact.
IN 1992...Grapefruit sized hail knocked windshields out of
several cars about 9 and a half miles northeast of Scott City
Kansas.
IN 1995...Thunderstorms moved across southwest Kansas during
the late afternoon and early evening hours. Two windmills
and 14 power poles were blown down 8 miles southeast of Bucklin.


Jul 26, 1943
Tishomingo Oklahoma baked in the heat as the mercury soared to
121 degrees, a state record.


Jul 27, 1943
On a whim, and flying a single engine AT6, Lieutenant Ralph
O'Hair and Colonel Buckworth were the first to fly into a
hurricane. It started regular Air Force flights into hurricanes.
IN 2011...the high of 109 degrees tied the record high for the
month of July at Dodge City.


Jul 28, 1819
A small but intense hurricane passed over Bay Saint Louis
Mississippi. The hurricane was considered the worst in fifty
years. Few houses were left standing either at Bay Saint Louis
or at Pass Christian, and much of the Mississippi coast was
desolate following the storm. A US cutter was lost along with
its 39 crew members. The storm struck the same area that was hit
150 years later by Hurricane Camille.


Jul 29, 1981
Fifty cattle, each weighing 800 pounds, were killed by lightning
near Vance AL. The lightning struck a tree and then spread along
the ground killing the cattle.
IN 1986...The high of 109 degrees tied the record high for the
month of July at Dodge City.


Jul 30, 1979
A 40 minute hailstorm bombed Fort Collins CO with baseball to
softball size hail. Twenty five hundred automobiles and two
thousand homes were damaged, and about 25 persons were injured,
mainly when hit on the head by the huge stones. A three month old
baby died later of injuries.


Jul 31, 1934
The high of 109 degrees set the record high for the month of July
at Dodge City.
IN 1976...A stationary thunderstorm produced more than ten inches
of rain which funneled into the narrow Thompson River Canyon of
northeastern Colorado. A wall of water six to eight feet high
wreaked a twenty five mile path of destruction from Estes Park
to Loveland killing 156 persons. The flash flood caught
campers, and caused extensive structural and highway damage.
Ten miles of US Highway 34 were totally destroyed as the river
was twenty feet higher than normal at times.
IN 1980...Record heat continued across the middle of the country.
Dodge City recorded 22 days of 100 degrees or higher, with 17 of
those days in a row with temperatures of 102 degrees or higher.



 

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