Thunderstorm Wind — Russell, Kansas

2024-07-03 · near Wilson Lake, Russell, Kansas

Direct deaths

Injuries

61 EG

Magnitude

Event narrative

Multiple campers were blown over throughout the state park at Wilson Lake with debris spreading all over. Three people were transported to the hospital with injuries, and one person was found deceased.

Wider weather episode

Storms tracked out of northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska during the early evening hours of Wednesday July 3rd and moved into central Kansas around 11 pm. The line of storms accelerated southeast and produced a large swath of damaging winds as they tracked southeast through the overnight hours.

There were multiple reports of 70 mph winds with the Salina Airport recording an 82 mph wind gust with a mesonet in McPherson county reporting a 76 mph gust. Unfortunately there were 3 injuries and one fatality on Wilson Lake in Russell county when a number of campers were rolled by the strong winds.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.9300, -98.5700)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1189332. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.