Thunderstorms packing winds up to 80 miles an hour dropped two inches of rain on portions of Cowley County Sunday evening, knocking down power poles and causing some tree and structural damage. Burden was without power for approximately eight hours due to the downed power poles south and west of the town.
Sirens were sounded at the Winfield City Lake and in Burden and Cambridge to warn people of the dangerous winds.
Some low land flooding was reported late this morning but the Walnut and Arkansas rivers are expected to crest below flood stage today and tomorrow, according to Cowley County Emergency Manager Brian Stone.
The county was under two thunderstorm watches Sunday evening and early Monday morning. The severe weather occurred during the first watch, Stone said.
The first high wind reports were from spotters west of Ark City who experienced 50 to 60 mile an hour winds about 7:30 p.m. The emergency operating center in Ark City recorded 55 mile an hour winds.
About 10 minutes later,?71 mile an hour winds were reported three miles southeast of Winfield while 73 mile an hour winds were recorded at the emergency operating center in Winfield.?Some pea-sized hail was also reported by spotters and a?Dexter weather observer reported “tremendous” winds and heavy rain.
“At 7:40 p.m., winds in excess of 80 miles an hour were reported at the Veteran’s Cemetery,” Emergency Management Public Information Officer Troy Combs said. “At this time, the EOC also noticed a bow echo developing on radar.
“The sirens were sounded at the Winfield City Lake shortly after,” he said. “The siren at the lake was sounded due to the light structures, such as trailers and tents, that are used during camping activities.”
The EOC will always sound the sirens at the lake during less severe conditions then normal due to these different circumstances. Seventy mile an hour winds were later reported at the lake, according to Combs.
“The bow echo that was causing these high winds continued to develop and move eastward,” he said. “Eighty mile an hour winds were reported three miles west of? Burden and immediately the sirens were sounded in Burden. Shortly thereafter, the sirens were also sounded in Cambridge.”
Combs said no funnels or tornadoes were reported. The sirens were activated because?the bow echo continued to develop which is a sign of possible higher winds about to take place, because of the loose and damaged limbs from earlier severe weather which can become dangerous projectiles to people and property, and the recent heavy rains that can lead to more severe limb and total tree damage.
A spotter on the west edge of Cambridge reported the winds were blowing at 70 miles an hour when they swept into?Cambridge.
Two inches of rain fell in Arkansas City; 1.87 inches at Strother Field; 2.06 four miles east of Winfield; 1.48 inches in Oxford. 2.33 inches in Atlanta and Cambridge and 1.63 inches were reported in Rock.
The Walnut River in?Winfield at 9 a.m. today stood at 10.8 feet. It was expected to crest today at 12 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet. The Walnut at? Ark City was at 9. 3 feet this morning. It was to crest later today at 11.6 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet.
The Arkansas River in? Ark City at 9 a.m. was 13.3 feet and is predicted to crest Tuesday t 14.7 feet. Flood stage is 17 foot.
No flooding is expected along the rivers, Stone said.
Damage reports included the downed power poles south and west of Burden and minor tree limb damage in Burden. ?Fleming Grain west of Burden received minimal trailer and building damage. Half of a roof was blown off a barn in?Cambridge and two large limbs were reported blown down in Cambridge.
Windows were blown out of? a vacant house in? Cambridge and a garage door was blown off a barn one mile north of Cambridge, according to County Emergency Management.
The forecast calls for a couple of days of dry weather before thunderstorms pop back into the forecast.?
