31 May 2026: Kansas tornado and electric eruption of lightning

 

We knew May 31 was likely to be the last day of our 2026 storm chase in Tornado Alley. We also knew it was likely to be a late show in southeast Kansas, perhaps at sunset or later. So after doing our laundry in Kearney, Nebraska, we dropped south and stopped at the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. As one does.

This beloved tourist attraction is the pride of Cawker City, Kansas, and Alethea and I have both added twine to the ball. Sisal twine, to be exact. If you happen to run into Belle of the Ball Linda Clover there, she can help you do a turn around the sisal sphere with the big spool and make it even larger.

Linda told us all about her recent challenges. I’ll respect her privacy and not get into them here. But let’s just say she’s an amazing and resilient woman, and I’m glad she gave us a few minutes of her time before we hit the road again. (Oh, and the water tower in Cawker City is now painted to look like a ball of twine, which is delightful.)

Off to the chase!

While our target was roughly south of Emporia, early storms in a mostly blue sky suckered us farther south toward the Oklahoma border. When our first cell died with a whimper, I just about gave up hope but figured we’d better head toward our original target, given there were clouds in the area.

As we headed north, we found ourselves scrambling to get into position as the towers grew. We had to navigate an annoying detour in the process.

 

Then, as the sun set, a supercell exploded north of us (in spite of my skepticism!). The last rays of the day set it aflame in brilliant orange. We paused for a couple of photos, then pressed on. I was worried we’d miss a tornado early in the storm’s development; we weren’t yet close enough for my liking.

As twilight set in, we got our first look at the cell’s prodigious lightning. The trick was getting close enough to get detailed shots of the bolts but stopping far enough away to stay out of the rain and maybe get some structure, too. Oh, and avoid hills and trees that would block our view.

We found a spot south of Madison, Kansas, and after reassuring the lovely homeowner whose driveway we parked alongside that we were not the same hooligans whom the cops hauled off to jail from that location recently, we were able to settle in and shoot a breathtaking lightning show.

 

I set up my 360 camera to do a time-lapse video – in hindsight, I might have set it up in a slightly different place, but regardless, the video is fantastic. With the 360, I can edit and export clips at a variety of widths and angles, and I used several views in the video. Do check it out.

I could watch this over and over again. Why? This was one of the most dazzling lightning shows I’ve ever seen, with nearly constant bolts from the first storm and another cell right behind it as the complex moved east.

What made the photos especially magical was the addition of lingering light from the west and the glow of a full moon rising in the east, both of which added dimension to the pretty supercell as it positively hammered the landscape with lightning.

Adding to the magic, there were fireflies winking around us. In a few of my shots, you can see the lightning bugs. They look like sparkles in some of the video (watch the ground).

And then there was a tornado warning. We weren’t super close to the updraft base. I was getting wide shots with the Nikon. So we didn’t see it in real time. But later, when I checked my stills, I was shocked (pun intended) to see a white tornado under the base of the storm framed by two lightning bolts.

O.M.G.! Lightning AND a tornado!

 

This was the catch of a lifetime. Except what’s really funny is that there were so many chasers on this storm, I know of at least three others who got an almost identical shot. Another got a close-up of the tornado lit by lightning without the bolts. There were probably more such shots. We were in very good company.

We’d had a pretty good chase overall in the Alley this season, but until this point, we hadn’t had exquisite supercell structure or a long-lasting tornado, one of those true “days to remember.” That’s one of the hazards of chasing for less than three weeks (as opposed to three-plus months, as some lucky chasers do). Even if you do chase for months, you miss things. Regardless, this storm gave us a lot of what I’d been craving: classic structure, a spectacular lightning show, a very cool tornado photo, and the chance to just hang out by the side of the road for an hour and a half and simply enjoy nature’s fireworks.

There’s so much driving in storm chasing. Obviously. But the best moments for me are when you can stop and really drink in a fantastic storm — when strategic positioning, luck, and storm speed and development cooperate. This was such a night.

Eventually, the sparks slowed down and the storms became less isolated. It was late, and we had a long trip ahead to Tulsa. So we gathered our gear and headed south.

I saw so many deer on the side of the road, I didn’t rush this stressful drive. But the high of seeing the stupendous storm helped carry me into the wee hours to our destination and a much-earned rest.

Click on any photo to see a larger image and start a slide show.

 
Here’s the video update we made from the road about this day and a stop in Memphis – where we saw hot lightning – on our trip home.