Excessive Heat — Reno, Kansas

2011-07-14 to 2011-07-31 · Reno, Kansas

Event narrative

The oppressive heat during the last half of the month led to three heat related fatalities in Hutchinson, Kansas. The first occurred on July 14th, when a 73 year old man died from heat related causes. The second occurred on July 16th, when a 63 year old man passed away, and the third occurred on July 20th, when a 76 year old man died of heat stroke. In all three cases, police reported that the interior temperature inside the homes was 95 degrees.

Wider weather episode

An extended period of 100 degree heat settled over the region from the middle portion of the month until the end of the month. High temperatures across most of Central and South Central Kansas stayed at or above 98 degrees for seventeen straight days, with some areas seeing max temperatures reaching 109 to 113 degrees. The hot temperatures reached their peak on July 27th, as Salina, Kansas soared to 113 degrees and Wichita, Kansas climbed to 111 degrees for the second time this month. The area had not witnessed a stretch of 100 degree heat like this since the early 1980s.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 336711. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.