Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Hastings, NE

May 16, 1992Howard County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at May 16, 1992, 2:15 AM CDT for Howard County, Nebraska. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 1992, 2:15 AM CDT (07:15 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1992, 2:45 AM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Howard County, NE

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 175 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1992-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1992-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -101 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1623 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-75 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KGRI 160715
TORGRI
NEC093-160745-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
215 AM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 245 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF NEBRASKA
      SOUTHERN HOWARD

AT 210 AM A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY A DEPUTY JUST NORTH OF BOELUS
NEBRASKA...OR AROUND 25 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF GRAND ISLAND.
RADAR SHOWS THE TORNADXO MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH TOWARD
THE TOWN OF DANNEBROG...RESIDENTS OF DANNEBROG SHOULD TAKE COVER.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO TAKE SHELTER IN A BASEMENT
OR BELOW GROUND.  OTHERWISE GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED
BUILDING.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE OPEN...TRY TO HIDE IN A DEPRESSION SUCH
AS A DITCH OR CULVERT.  COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE LIKLEY WITH THIS STORM.

 DOS/DGS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 15, 8:39 PM CDT, 5 hours 36 minutes before
NEZ008-013>015-017>019-160230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
835 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1992

...TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF NEBRASKA UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...
...A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL
NEBRASKA UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

AT 830 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL...COVERED MOST OF A 30 TO 40 MILE WIDE AREA
FROM NORTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...STRETCHING FROM 50 MILES
NORTH OF GRAND ISLAND...OR NORTH OF GREELEY...TO BROKEN BOW...JUST
SOUTH OF NORTH PLATTE....AND THEN TO IMPERIAL.

THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM IN THIS AREA WAS CENTERED 15 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF NORTH PLATTE...WHERE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
LINCOLN COUNTY UNTIL 845 PM CDT.

OTHER INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING IN EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA...FROM NORTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ONEILL.

MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS GENERALLY EAST TO NORTHEAST AT 15
TO 20 MPH.

TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF NEBRASKA
AND UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR MUCH OF EASTCENTRAL AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEA-THER RADIO...AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO
BROADCASTS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS.

DGD
Special weather statement, May 15, 10:48 PM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
NEZ008-013>015-017>019-160430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
1040 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH IS  IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL
NEBRASKA UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

AT 1030 PM CDT...A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...MANY PRODUCING VERY
HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL
COVERED MUCH OF NORTHEAST...NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
THE BAND WAS 70 TO 80 MILES WIDE AND EXTENDED FROM YANKTON SOUTH
DAKOTA TO ORD NEBRASKA ...50 MILES NORTHWEST OF GRAND ISLAND..
AND THEN TO NORTH PLATTE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA WAS A 15 TO 20 MILE WIDE
LINE THAT REACHED FROM NEAR NORFOLK TO JUST NORTH OF GRAND ISLAND
NORTH OF LEXINGTON AND THEN TO NEAR NORTH PLATTE.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 30 MILES NORTH OF KEARNEY AND
ANOTHER NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON.

MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS GENERALLY EAST TO NORTHEAST AT 15
TO 20 MPH.

TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL
MIDNIGHT CDT FOR MUCH OF EASTCENTRAL AND NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO
BROADCASTS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS.

DGD

Special weather statement, May 16, 12:50 AM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
NEZ008-013>015-017>019-160640-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
1245 AM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NEBRASKA
TIL 5 AM CDT...
...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PORTION OF
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TIL  3 AM CDT...

AT 1235 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE
SMALL HAIL CONTINUED IN A 15 MILE WIDE AREA FROM NEAR COLUMBUS TO EAST
OF GRAND ISLAND NEAR HORDVILLE TO NORTH OF KEARNEY...WEST OF PLEASANTON.
THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA WERE LOCATED NEAR COLUMBUS...
SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS NEAR STROMSBURG...NEAR GRAND ISLAND AND NORTH OF
KEARNEY.

SOME STREET FLOODING WAS OCCURING IN HAZARD...NORTH OF KEARNEY AND
HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED IN THAT TOWN.  4 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY
FALLEN THERE...CAUSING SOME STREET FLOODING.  LOWLAND FLOODING WILL
BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER STORMS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 20 MPH.

OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND
EASTERN NEBRASKA...MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF A LINE FROM NORTH OF
OMAHA NEAR TEKAMAH TO SOUTH OF HASTINGS NEAR BLUE HILL TO WEST OF
NORTH PLATTE NEAR KEYSTONE.

MLG
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
NEZ008-013>015-017>019-160640-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTION TO HEADING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND ISLAND NE
1245 AM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA TIL 5 AM CDT...
...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PORTION OF
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TIL 3 AM CDT...

AT 1235 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE
SMALL HAIL CONTINUED IN A 15 MILE WIDE AREA FROM NEAR COLUMBUS TO EAST
OF GRAND ISLAND NEAR HORDVILLE TO NORTH OF KEARNEY...WEST OF PLEASANTON.
THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA WERE LOCATED NEAR COLUMBUS...
SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS NEAR STROMSBURG...NEAR GRAND ISLAND AND NORTH OF
KEARNEY.

SOME STREET FLOODING WAS OCCURING IN HAZARD...NORTH OF KEARNEY AND
HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED IN THAT TOWN.  4 INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY
FALLEN THERE...CAUSING SOME STREET FLOODING.  LOWLAND FLOODING WILL
BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER STORMS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS EAST AT 20 MPH.

OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND
EASTERN NEBRASKA...MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF A LINE FROM NORTH OF
OMAHA NEAR TEKAMAH TO SOUTH OF HASTINGS NEAR BLUE HILL TO WEST OF
NORTH PLATTE NEAR KEYSTONE.

MLG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 7:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDDawson56 min
May 15, 9:32 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDHoward, Merrick, Nance28 min
May 15, 11:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo46 min
May 16, 1:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHall, Hamilton, Merrick64 min
May 16, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGreeley36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.