WMOD00125

• Contract/Permit #: #90-3
• Applicant: Western Kansas Groundwater
• Project Name: Kansas Weather Modification
• Date: 6/1/1990
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Public Hearing

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Rt!CEIVID

MAV ;:. :; '90

, COLORAQo WAT!A
CONerftVAT/ON
GENERAL INTEREST, Kansas crop insurance rates and rules for w't~ have
not changed since 1988. That's the bad news. Although each year the
Overwhelmin8' majority of crop daroa15" insurance cl/>iros are for hail
damage to wheat, our inforlwtion of hail da~8e c1a1100 for all crops
the past two years indicate that total number of hail damage claims
dropped below the averaseof 139 claims established frum 1975 through
1987 for counties participating in the weather IQodlfication program.
1988 and 1989 claims averaged 112 per county. or appro:xilDll.tely 19%
less than the previously established 13-year average. Although our
information does not include ,total dollar e>mount of' damage done, there
ia little doubt that an aver~ge of 27 leas hail instances per county
per year for eaoh partJ.cipating county translates 111to mOl-e money :tor
the regional eoonomy the past two years. Caution shOUld be used when
using averages like thts because not all counties received "ave~-a8e
daroagtil" over the two year per1od---some reported more than average
claims, others 1es8. Also, there arppears to b", d1.fferences among
counties with respect to crop and amount insured.

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NEWSLBTTER 90 - 3

FOR THE WEEK

KAY 12 - MAY 15,

1990

The ourrent lon8'-term <15 year) average number- of hail claims per
target area county has deolined a further 2.11. from the 13-year
average establi!"ll1ed in 1987. Hopefully, wileu new I.'ates are set, the
decrease will translate into lower insurance cost8 ill many parte; of
western and southwestern Kansas.

OPERATIONAL:

MAY 15th---OPERATIONAL DAY #3: An 1solated mid-afternoon storm moved
into Kansas from Colorado, just west of Sharon Springs. Initi~lly,
the storm was not 'very severe anoi its prior- movement 1ndicataed it
should p~S8 north of the target area as it moved e~st-southeast. One
aircraft was launched to the storm. WIlen seeding for hail began on
the storm near Sharon Springs at 4:12 p.m., MDT, a second plane WaS
scrambled. As the rapidly movin8 storm mDved further into Kansas, the
main precipitation center initially t~'acked just north of the 1l0rth'21-n
tier of target area counties. The second aircraft began seeding at
4140 p. m. west of Russell Springs. Around 5 p. In., strong storm
intensification occurred with subsequent new growth building on its
south side, well into the target ",'ea.. Both remaining planes had been
scrambled minutes earlier.

The storm cent~r first entered target area country around 5:30
p.m., MDT, in the extreme NE part of Wichita and NW Scott count1es,
then passed over Scott Lake and went further into NW Lane County. The
other two planes beg'an seeding at 5:35 p.m. "11,15:41 p.m.. bbout the
time the storm passed over Scott La.ke; all :foul- aircraft cont11luecl
s~eding as it went into and across Lane County, Horth of Dighton,
before its dissipation:

Hail up to galiball size was reported to have damaged crops,
buildings and vehicles 1n Scott County along tlle stonn track.