Kingfisher was severe weather central for a short period of time Monday.

Severe storms that made their way through the state dropped what appeared to be a small tornado southeast of Kingfisher about 5:40 p.m.

Despite its appearance, Kingfisher was never under a tornado warning from the National Weather Service nor did storm sirens sound off in town.

Kingfisher County Emergency Management Director Ryan Deatherage said his agency had multiple spotters in the area and was in constant contact with the NWS throughout the evening.

“At this time, we’re not certain that it ever touched down to become a tornado as we are not aware of any damage or other evidence on the ground,” Deatherage said in a press release Tuesday morning. “If it did become a tornado, it was likely only in contact with the ground for less than a minute.”

The type of funnel didn’t necessitate a warning, said Deatherage.

“The technical term for a tornado like this is a landspout and they’re different from most tornadoes we’re used to seeing,” he said. “They’re typically very brief and very weak, with winds likely in the EF0 category (less than 85 mph).

“Because of that, and the fact that they are often difficult to see on radar, tornado warnings may not always be issued for these types of funnels.”

Which is why, he added, there were no sirens in Kingfisher despite the funnel’s proximity.

“Despite its fleeting appearance, the storm raised questions about the lack of warning sirens sounding. Our warning system is connected to the National Weather Service, which did not issue a tornado warning for our region,” Deatherage said.

“As a result, no notification was sent out via Kingfisher Alerts.”

Deatherage said his office was prepared to sound the sirens if needed.

“Kingfisher County Emergency Management had a team of five experienced spotters on the ground, in constant communication with the National Weather Service,” he said.

“If any potentially destructive structures were spotted by our team or on radar, we would have immediately sounded the storm sirens to protect lives and property. Please keep in mind that storm sirens are one source to receive information and you should have more than one to keep you informed.”

The storm did bring a deluge of water to Kingfisher.

The Mesonet reports 2.02 inches fell Monday, prompting some flash flooding and a brief closure of U.S. Highway 81.

Although citizens were warned that tennis ballsized hail was imminent, Deatherage said there were no reports of such, nor any significant hail damage made to his office.

The largest, he said, was some ping pong-size hail east of Dover.

Deatherage said a lightning strike also started a fire at a tank battery east of Dover, but the Dover Fire Department quickly extinguished it.