September 22, 2001: F3 Tornado Crosses Clay County

On the left...radar imagery shows the classic "hook" shaped echo over southeast Clay County.
At right..."Doppler velocity couplet" with winds blowing toward the radar (bottom center) in green and blue (max) and winds blowing away from the radar in red and yellow (max). The color scale indicates at least 50 kts (58 mph) in each direction, or at least 116 mph of shear over southeast Clay County.
 

One tornado formed west of Saronville in northeast Clay County at approximately 7:07 pm.  The tornado was about 200 yards wide and damaged crops and irrigation equipment along its nearly 4 mile long path. It then dissipated around 726 pm.

A larger tornado formed about six or seven miles south of where the initial tornado weakened. This tornado moved southeast, east, and finally northeast on its 8 mile long path.  It was a half mile wide for much of its lifetime, but reached 0.8 miles at its widest.  The tornado damaged three farmsteads in an area bounded by Clay Center, Edgar and Ong.  The extent of the damage indicates that this tornado reached F3 intensity on the Fujita Scale, with wind speeds between 158 and 206 mph.

Hail pounded the area as well both in the morning, and again during the evening.  Hail as large as 4 inches in diameter was reported in Jewell County Kansas.

Below are pictures of the devastation left from the large tornado in Clay County.
Click on an image for the enlarged view.

The following are PRELIMINARY severe weather reports from September 22nd.

TIME(CDT)  CITY LOCATION            STATE  EVENT/REMARKS               COUNTY LOCATION

0505 AM    EDGAR                     NE    .75 INCH HAIL    09/22/01   CLAY

0515 AM    5 E STOCKHAM              NE    0.75 INCH HAIL   09/22/01   HAMILTON

0515 AM    CLAY CENTER               NE    1.00 INCH HAIL   09/22/01   CLAY         COVERING THE GROUND

0740 AM    FAIRMONT                  NE    0.75 INCH HAIL   09/22/01   FILLMORE     REPORTED BY COUNTY SHERIFF.

0710 PM    1 W SARONVILLE            NE    TORNADO          09/22/01   CLAY

0736 PM    10 E CLAY CENTER          NE    1 INCH HAIL      09/22/01   CLAY

0750 PM    2 N EDGAR                 NE    TORNADO          09/22/01   CLAY

0750 PM    3 W ONG                   NE    1 INCH HAIL      09/22/01   CLAY         REPORTED BY STORMCHASER

0750 PM    3 W ONG                   NE    TORNADO          09/22/01   CLAY         QUARTER MILE WIDE TORNADO 
                                                                                    REPORTED BY STORMCHASER

0800 PM    4 N ONG                   NE    1.75 INCH HAIL   09/22/01   CLAY         EVENT DURATION 30 MIN

0810 PM    4 NE EDGAR                NE    TORNADO          09/22/01   CLAY         HOUSE DESTROYED

0815 PM    4 W SHICKLEY              NE    TORNADO          09/22/01   FILLMORE

0815 PM    1 E ONG                   NE    TORNADO          09/22/01   CLAY

0830 PM    MC COOL JCT               NE    1.25 INCH HAIL   09/22/01   YORK

0855 PM    5 N SUPERIOR              NE    1 INCH HAIL      09/22/01   NUCKOLLS

0855 PM    2 NE NORTH BRANCH         KS    3.5 INCH HAIL    09/22/01   JEWELL

0855 PM    3 NE NORTH BRANCH         KS    4 INCH HAIL      09/22/01   JEWELL                          

0900 PM    SUPERIOR                  NE    1 INCH HAIL      09/22/01   NUCKOLLS

0900 PM    5 N BURR OAK              KS    2.5 INCH HAIL    09/22/01   JEWELL      REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0935 PM    FORMOSO                   KS    .75 INCH HAIL    09/22/01   JEWELL

0935 PM    WEBBER                    KS    .75 INCH HAIL    09/22/01   JEWELL

0935 PM    MANKATO                   KS    .75 INCH HAIL    09/22/01   JEWELL