Severe storm with 75 mph wind gusts sweeps through Douglas County, causing tree and other damage

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Trees were damaged in Marvin Grove behind the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas campus on Friday, July 14, 2023, following a severe thunderstorm.

Updated at 6:15 p.m. Friday, July 14, 2023

A severe thunderstorm that moved through the Topeka-Lawrence corridor Friday afternoon brought 75 mph wind gusts to Douglas County that damaged trees and dumped as much as 2 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service office in Topeka.

Tornado sirens blared periodically in Lawrence over the course of about 30 minutes starting shortly after 2:30 p.m. as the severe weather swept through the area.

“We had loads of reports of tree limbs down,” said meteorologist Chad Omitt, along with damaged roof shingles and quarter-sized hail in some areas of the county.

Lawrence received 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain within a 30-60 minute period Friday afternoon, Omitt said, and water pooled on numerous streets, including the underpass on North Second Street, which temporarily closed due to standing water.

Omitt said he had heard a report of a vehicle being blown off U.S. Highway 59. Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokesman George Diepenbrock confirmed that report, saying that during the heaviest part of the storm, around 3:20 p.m., a driver in the area of U.S. 59 and North 1200 Road “was not able to see very well and drove off the road into the ditch.” No one was injured, Diepenbrock said.

He said the sheriff’s office had assisted a handful of other motorists and had received a few reports of county roads obstructed by tree limbs.

In downtown Lawrence, a cover on the air-conditioning system on the Douglas County Courthouse blew off the roof, according to a county worker at the scene.

The City of Lawrence said the storm resulted in “a large amount of tree limbs and debris on sidewalks and roadways.”

City crews could be seen clearing several streets in East Lawrence around 4:30 p.m. Maureen Brady, with the City of Lawrence, said that the Parks and Recreation Forestry Division was responding to more than 10 reports of damaged trees impacting roadways.

“Damage reports have been concentrated east of Kasold, at this time,” she told the Journal-World.

Some large trees on the University of Kansas campus had also succumbed to Friday’s fierce wind.

The city asked people to stay home if they did not need to be out Friday evening, to facilitate road cleanup.

Jillian Rodrigue, deputy director of Douglas County Emergency Management, echoed that request and also urged people to use caution when cleaning up around their property, “especially with the numerous downed power line calls.” A map for Evergy electric customers showed widespread power outages in the wake of the storm.

The city said crews would collect yard waste, tree limbs and storm debris on normal collection days if the materials are bundled together properly based on the following guidelines:

• Bundles of limbs must be placed neatly by the curb.

• Bundles of debris and limbs must not exceed 5 feet in length and 18 inches in diameter.

• Bundles must not weigh more than 65 pounds.

• Bundles must be tied together with twine or string (no wire, duct tape, etc.).

• If placing debris in City of Lawrence yard waste containers, debris must not extend more than 12 inches above the top of the container.

The city said that depending on the severity or amount of debris across town, residents may experience delays in yard waste and debris pick-up.

Omitt at the National Weather Service said Lawrence should have “quiet weather” Saturday, but another storm chance was in the forecast for Sunday. He said Saturday and Sunday temperatures should be around 90 degrees.