National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heat Wave Expands to the East Coast; Flash Flooding Likely in the Central Plains into the Midwest; Severe Thunderstorms in the Northeast

Dangerous, prolonged heat is ongoing in the Mid-South to Mid-Mississippi Valley and heat expands into the Northeast for a brief period today. Widely scattered instances of flash flooding due to heavy rains are forecast from northeast Kansas to much of Indiana. Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of New England, northern Mid-Atlantic, and North Dakota. Read More >


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS SURVEYED THE WIND DAMAGE THAT  OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF LAWRENCE AROUND 8 AM CST, 
MARCH 12.  THE LARGE AREA  OF WIND DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MICROBURST OF 70 TO 90 MPH STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. 

 

THE DAMAGE FROM THE MICROBURST IN LAWRENCE THIS MORNING INCLUDED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES, ALONG WITH ROOF
AND SIDING DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS.

 

MICROBURSTS ARE VERY STRONG WINDS THAT QUICKLY DESCEND FROM THE BASE OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND THEN SPREAD OUT QUICKLY
 UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THESE STRAIGHT LINE DAMAGING WINDS CAN CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ACROSS A LARGE AREA.  

 

VIDEO RECEIVED SO FAR TAKEN IN LAWRENCE SHOW THE SUDDEN DOWNBURST FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BASE AND THE FANNING 
OUT OF THE DOWNBURST AS IT HITS THE GROUND, WHICH ALSO CAUSED WIDESPREAD BLOWING DUST.

Aerial Photos From KHP:
  
 
   

  

 

SOME NWS PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE IN LAWRENCE