Severe Weather Hits the Plaza August 6,1996

The PLAZA Microburst Event

August 6, 1996

Strong thunderstorms moved through the Grandview and Plaza areas around midday producing two microbursts. These winds downed trees and caused damage to the roof of the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library.

Below is a series of satellite images showing the cluster of thunderstorms as they moved into the Kansas City area. The IR image shows a small area of colder cloud top temperatures had developed, indicating that the storms had intensified. The images show the tops then warmed as the storms moved across Kansas City, which is indicative of a collapsing thunderstorm and associated microburst.

Infrared Satellite Images

Visible Satellite Images

1645Z

1715Z

1745Z