Pratt, Kan. – Parts of south-central Kansas are under a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight Tuesday, with storms capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, and even isolated tornadoes.
According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, the watch zone includes Barber, Clark, Comanche, Harper, Kingman, Kiowa, Meade, Pratt, and Seward counties. Residents should prepare for scattered hail up to two inches in diameter and wind gusts reaching 70 mph.
Communities such as Pratt, Liberal, and Medicine Lodge could see the strongest impacts during the evening hours, especially along U.S. Highway 54 and nearby rural routes. The threat of hail poses risks to vehicles and crops, while strong winds could down tree limbs and power lines.
Emergency officials advise residents to move indoors at the first sign of storms and keep phones charged in case of outages. Travelers are urged to delay unnecessary trips, particularly across western and south-central Kansas where conditions may worsen quickly.
The severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 12 a.m. Tuesday, with additional warnings possible if storms intensify.
