The storm system that produced deadly tornadoes Saturday as it moved across southern Missouri, northeast Oklahoma and into Arkansas actually erupted over Sumner County first and then moved over Cowley County at 3:45 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The storms produced multiple reports of golf ball sized hail and a few reports of tennis ball sized hail as they moved east rapidly into Elk and Chautauqua counties.
One inch hail was reported in Arkansas City at 3:35 p.m while golfball sized hail was reported north of Ark City at 3:36 p.m. Golfball size hail was also reported ten miles southwest of Dexter and at 256th and Grouse Creek Road.
Hail up to the size of tennis balls was reported by a trained spotter in Elk County about 4 p.m. Quarter size hail covered the ground in Cowley County at 4:06 p.m. and then reports of large hail began to occur in Montgomery County. Reports continued from the Sedan area with a KAKE TV spotter reporting golfball size hail in Chautauqua County at 4:30 p.m.
Neodesha, Cherryvale, Parsons?and Neosho, Mo.,? also received large hail. Seventy mile an hour winds were measured at the Montgomery County airport at 4:40 p.m. The first tornado was reported by a trained spotter at 5:19 p.m southwest of Chetopa.
A tornado was reported on the ground near highway 59 along the Kansas – Oklahoma state line at 5:22 p.m. It increased in size as it moved into Oklahoma and turned deadly when it wiped outmPicher, Okla.
This tornado season has produced more than double the usual number of tornadoes this time of year while the Midwest is only halfway through the season when more tornadoes occur than at any other time of the year.
The severe weather outlook for today calls for the greatest threat southeast of a line from Iola to Sedan. However, a thunderstorm hasn’t been ruled out in this area and area residents should continue to remain alert to changes in the weather.
