Woodson County Emergency Management, 105 West Rutledge, Yates Center, KS (2026)

06/01/2026

UPDATE - Monday, June 1, 2026 - 1:34AM

The National Weather Service has issued an additional severe thunderstorm WARNING until 2:30AM which includes all of Woodson County except for the extreme northeastern corner.

UPDATE - Monday, June 1, 2026 - 12:49AM

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm WARNING until 1:45AM which includes ALL areas in Woodson County.

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1246 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026

The National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Woodson County in southeastern Kansas...
Southeastern Greenwood County in southeastern Kansas...

* Until 145 AM CDT.

* At 1246 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles west of
Toronto, or 10 miles east of Eureka, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
Yates Center, Toronto, Neosho Falls, Virgil, Batesville, Cross
Timbers State Park, Toronto Lake, Rose, and Piqua.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3773 9553 3773 9618 3795 9618 3804 9596
3804 9552
TIME...MOT...LOC 0546Z 265DEG 24KT 3781 9609

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

Monday, June 1, 2026 - 12:39AM

The National Weather Service has cancelled the tornado WARNING previously affecting portions of northeastern Woodson County, including the cities of Neosho Falls and Piqua.

A severe thunderstorm WATCH remains in effect for all of Woodson County until 4:00AM.

05/23/2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026 - 9:22AM

At approximately 8:01AM, the Woodson County 911 Dispatch Center received a call advising that a chlorine leak had occurred at the City of Yates Center Water Plant.

City of Yates Center Police Department, Yates Center Volunteer Fire Department, Woodson County EMS, Woodson County Sheriff's Office, and Woodson County Emergency Management responded to the scene, and a safety perimeter was established.

No active leak was apparent upon first responders’ arrival at the scene. A single patient was discovered with symptoms consistent with acute chlorine exposure. That patient was transported by Woodson County EMS to Coffey County Hospital.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a water plant employee was attempting to exchange a bottle of pressurized chlorine gas believed to be empty with a new full bottle. Upon disconnection of the bottle from the service system, some quantity of chlorine gas was released.

Yates Center Fire Department personnel verified that there was no ongoing leak, that the area had been adequately ventilated, and the scene was subsequently released back to Water Department personnel.

Fire and Water Department personnel advise that there is no ongoing risk to the public and that the event did not affect the drinking water produced by the Yates Center Water Plant.

05/18/2026

Monday, May 18, 2026 - 6:22PM

🌪🌪Get out your muumuus, Woodson County is in a tornado WATCH until 1:00AM.👗👗

Woodson County Weather & Storm Shelter Information

Remember, if the sirens go off, or you receive notification that we have been placed in a tornado WARNING, SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!!!

Sirens in Woodson County:
If the sirens are sounded during inclement weather, it means TAKE COVER NOW. There will NEVER be and "all clear" signal from the sirens.

If the sirens are sounded more than once, it indicates that the weather threat still remains and you should REMAIN UNDER COVER.

Please consider investing in a portable, battery powered, NOAA weather radio for up to the minute alerts and updates on storm status for our area.

You may also want to follow the National Weather Service out of Wichita, who is responsible for most of our alerts and forecasts:
US National Weather Service Wichita Kansas
Or visit their website at:
https://weather.gov/ict/

You can also sign up to receive alerts on your cell phone from the City of Yates Center by entering your information at:
my.textcaster.com/asa/3014

Likewise alerts and updates from the Woodson County Sheriff's Office are available by texting "Woodson County" to 888777 from your cellular phone.

Remember that a "Watch" indicates that conditions are FAVORABLE for a weather related event and you should be PREPARED to respond accordingly.

A "Warning" means that a weather related event has been CONFIRMED, either by spotters, radar, etc, and you should take steps IMMEDIATELY to respond and protect yourself.

Stay safe everyone!

Woodson County Storm Shelter Info:

Yates Center - North and South Schools - See graphic below.

Piqua - Public Storm Shelter located at 302 Hill Street, Piqua near the Buster Keaton Museum / Rural Water Office. https://maps.app.goo.gl/62QFr4p3mFXLKwWz5

Neosho Falls - Public Storm Shelter located at 1106 Main Street, Neosho Falls. https://maps.app.goo.gl/axCvdeSJyasPpPJ46

Toronto - Methodist Church located at 201 S. Broad Street, Toronto. https://maps.app.goo.gl/23AJhUGxXME9aM1P9

05/18/2026

Monday, May 18, 2026 - 1:00PM

⚠️ WOODSON COUNTY SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE ⚠️

Alright folks… we just wrapped up our briefing call with the National Weather Service, and the overall consensus appears to be:

“Yes… today could absolutely get stupid; but maybe it won't; but it might; but maybe not; but..."

At this point, it looks like Woodson County may see multiple rounds of thunderstorms today and tonight.

⛈ ROUND ONE:
A few isolated storms may begin developing around 2:00 - 3:00 PM, especially across north central and northeastern Woodson County.

These early storms are expected to be more scattered, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. Around here, isolated storms have a long and proud history of suddenly developing anger issues.

⛈ ROUND TWO:
After the first batch clears out, a larger line of storms is expected to roll into Woodson County from the northwest later tonight, likely sometime around 10:00 - 11:00 PM.

And yes… the nighttime timing is less than ideal, but apparently Mother Nature really doesn't want us to get all snuggled up and comfy in bed too early tonight.

⛈️ Hazards with BOTH rounds of storms may include:

🌪 Tornadoes
🧊 Large hail
💨 Damaging straight-line winds
☔️ Heavy rainfall
🌊 Localized flooding

The good news is that the overall severe weather threat should begin tapering off after midnight.

The bad news is that between now and then, the atmosphere appears to be fully committed to making poor decisions.

Now would be a GREAT time to:

📻 Make sure your weather alerts are actually turned on and not muted because they interrupted your FarmTok videos three months ago.

🔋 Charge your phones, flashlights, weather radios, battery packs, and whatever mysterious drawer full of cords everybody has but nobody understands.

🚗 Move vehicles under cover if possible, especially if your “garage” currently contains:

🪚14 partial woodworking projects
🥶a freezer that hasn't been plugged in since 1997
🚜three riding lawn mowers that all “ran when I parked it”
🔩and enough miscellaneous screws in baby food jars to put Superior Building Supply, Inc. out of business

🐄 Remind your livestock that unless they hold at least an FAA Issued Private Pilot's License with Instrument Rating, unplanned aviation remains strongly discouraged this afternoon.

👗 And due to the tornado potential, this would be a fantastic opportunity to rinse some of the Copenhagen stains out of your favorite emergency management muumuu before the porch-sittin’ weather turns into “everybody get in the cellar” weather.

As always, we’ll continue monitoring conditions throughout the day and will provide additional updates if timing or expectations change.

In other news - It's National EMS Week and if you're not already following Woodson County EMS, please stop by and give your friends who drive the 🚑 Boo Boo Bus a like and follow!

05/17/2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026 - 11:48AM

⚠️ WOODSON COUNTY WEATHER HEADS UP ⚠️

Alright folks… tomorrow has the potential to get a little western around Woodson County.

The National Weather Service is currently highlighting our area for the possibility of severe thunderstorms beginning tomorrow afternoon and continuing into the evening hours. The primary concerns right now appear to be:

🌪 Tornadoes
🌬 Damaging straight-line winds
🧊 Large hail
⛈ Heavy rain and intense thunderstorms

At this point, this is still a PRELIMINARY notice. Tomorrow’s weather setup is still evolving, and details regarding exact timing, storm intensity, and the highest-risk areas will become clearer after additional forecast updates and our Monday briefing call with the National Weather Service.

That being said… this is probably not the night to leave your lawn furniture stacked like a Jenga tower, your trampoline tied down with one optimistic bungee cord, or your “someday project” pickup parked under the dead tree behind the shed. While you're at it, maybe take a quick sashay through the back yard and pick up some of those "soda bottles" that are still laying out there from last week's graduation party.

Current indications suggest storms could begin impacting Woodson County sometime tomorrow afternoon and continue through the evening hours, though that timing may shift as newer data comes in.

Now would be a good time to:

📻 Make sure you have a way to receive warnings overnight and during the day tomorrow
🔋 Charge phones, flashlights, weather radios, and other devices
🚗 Move vehicles under cover if possible
🐄 Remind your livestock that, unless they were born with wings, unplanned aerial excursions rarely end favorably!

We’ll have a more detailed update tomorrow after our coordination call with the National Weather Service, including better timing information and a clearer picture of what Woodson County can expect.

04/26/2026

Sunday, April 26, 2026 - 6:08PM

Alright Woodson County… quick update coming in hot from my phone 📱

This one’s shorter than usual because I’m typing it out with my thumbs… and let’s just say they were not built for speed or accuracy. If this post had spellcheck turned off, we’d all be in trouble.

If you’re up in the northern part of the county or around Neosho Falls–Piqua, you’ve already had your excitement for the afternoon. 🌩️ You got the deluxe package… the rest of the county is still on the free trial.

At this point, there’s a decent chance that was the main event for the day.

That said… the atmosphere is still a little unsettled, and there’s a window over the next few hours where things could try to reorganize and fire off another round. No guarantees, no panic… just not quite “kick your feet up and ignore the sky” time yet.

👉 Bottom line:
You might be done for the day, but don’t wander off so far you can’t hear your phone if something spins back up.

We’ll keep watching in case the weather decides it’s not finished with us yet.

Woodson County Emergency Management 🟡

04/23/2026

Thursday, April 23, 2026 - 4:40PM

Update - 9:02PM

This tornado WATCH has been extended till 11PM for Woodson County.

Expect thunderstorms to move into the northwestern portion of the county sometime in the next half hour and proceed across the whole county.

End - 9:02PM update.

Update - 10:07PM

Reports of strong winds, locally heavy rain, pea sized hail and power outages in the Toronto / Cross Timbers area. This stronger are of the storm will likely remain in the southern portion of Woodson County with the remainder of the county seeing moderate rain over the course of the next hour or so.

End - 10:07PM update.

Alright Woodson County… 🌪️
We are now under a Tornado WATCH.
We should all be pretty familiar with how this goes, but just in case you haven't been around for the last few weeks, here's a quick refresher.

A tornado WATCH does NOT mean:

🚫 It does NOT mean you should go stand on your porch and watch for a tornado (That's what we have the sirens for - KIDDING!)
🚫 It does NOT mean there is currently a tornado in your area
(No spinny clouds on the ground right now… we’re just in the “ingredients are on the counter” phase)
🚫 It does NOT mean the sirens should be going off
(If you hear sirens tonight, that’s no longer a watch… that’s a take-cover-immediately situation)
🚫 It does NOT mean you need to panic, load the kids, the dog, and half the garage (yes, that was directed at you, Allison) into the basement (We’re not there yet)
🚫 It does NOT mean texting Johnny asking “is this bad?” is going to improve the situation (Johnny does not control the weather… or really much of anything else, if we're being totally honest)
🚫 It does NOT mean you can safely ignore everything because “the last few didn’t do anything” (This is Kansas… all it takes is one storm to get motivated)

🧠 WHAT IT DOES MEAN
Conditions are favorable for severe storms that could produce a tornado.

That’s it. That’s the whole deal.

👍 WHAT YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY DO
✔️ Keep an eye on the weather this evening
✔️ Make sure your alerts are working
✔️ Know where you’ll go if a warning is issued
✔️ Maybe don’t start a long shower, climb a ladder, or disappear into the back 40 with no signal during the 7–11 window

Hopefully this is all the more interesting things get tonight, but as always… stay weather-aware, not weather-paranoid.

Woodson County Emergency Management 🟡

04/23/2026

Thursday, April 23, 2026 - 1:15PM

Alright Woodson County… let’s have an honest conversation. 🌩️

At this point, every time we say “severe weather tonight,” about half of you are thinking:
“Oh good, another light show and 12 drops of rain.”

And honestly… we don’t blame you. The last few have shown up with big talk and then just kind of… fizzled. So if your first reaction tonight is, “I’ll believe it when I hear my trash can hit the neighbor’s house,” you’re not alone.

That being said, we probably shouldn’t completely ignore this system like it was part of that sibling group chat you've had set on ignore since 2019.

⏰ TIMING

Storms are expected between 7 PM and 11 PM
(aka right when you finally sit down and don’t feel like getting back up)

⚠️ WHAT’S ON THE TABLE

➡️ Hail up to 2 inches
(Seriously, what is it going to take to get some of you to clean out at least one space in your garage?)

➡️ Winds up to 70 mph
(Strong enough to finally relocate that pile of “I’ll deal with it later”)

➡️ Heavy rain
(Picture yourself standing at the screen door thinking "man, it's really coming down out there" just as you realize you left the windows down on your car)

➡️ Possible tornadoes
(Current predictions say the chances are more likely west of WoCo, so they'll probably show up on our doorstep just to prove NWS wrong)

🌾 WOODSON COUNTY REALITY CHECK

There is a solid chance this goes like the last few:

Thunder
Some wind
A quick rain
Everybody wakes up tomorrow like, “We stayed up for that?”

BUT… there’s also the version where:

One storm clocks in, chooses violence,
Picks a random stretch of road or neighborhood,
And reminds everyone why we keep sending these posts.

Storms like this don’t have to impress the whole county… just one unlucky spot.

🧠 WHAT WE’RE ASKING (VERY REASONABLE REQUEST)

We are NOT asking you to:

Sit in your basement clutching a flashlight
Cancel supper
Or stand in the yard narrating cloud formations like you’re on the Weather Channel

We ARE asking you to:

Have a way to get alerts indoors
Keep an eye on things between 7–11
And if warnings pop up… don’t hit them with the “yeah yeah, I’ve heard this before”

🐄 FINAL THOUGHT

Hopefully this is just another instance of the weather man getting overexcited, frankly, I think we're all used to that by now.

On the other hand, if something does happen… you’ll be glad you at least half-paid attention instead of assuming it was just another dramatic Kansas evening.

Until then… maybe take a quick look outside and ask yourself:
“Do I really want to play hide-and-seek with my lawn furniture tomorrow morning?”

Woodson County Emergency Management 🟡

04/18/2026

Friday, April 17, 2026 - 8:15PM

Some awesome after-the-storm shots by Toronto Kansas Fire Department Chief-elect, Evan Murray. Thanks for sharing, Evan!

04/17/2026

UPDATE - Friday, April 17, 2026 - 7:15PM
The National Weather Service has CANCELLED the tornado WATCH for Woodson county.

Friday, April 17, 2026 - 2:15PM

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado WATCH which includes Woodson county (as well as all contiguous counties). The WATCH is scheduled to remain in effect until 9:00PM.

Remember, a WATCH indicates that conditions are favorable for the formation of a tornado and that you should carefully monitor your alert sources during this time.

Woodson County Emergency Management

06/01/2026

05/23/2026

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

05/17/2026

04/26/2026

04/23/2026

04/23/2026

04/18/2026

04/17/2026

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