Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2002
Tornado Warning 20, NWS Hastings, NE
NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at May 26, 2002, 7:56 PM CDT for Franklin County, Nebraska. It was in force for 64 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 26, 2002, 7:56 PM CDT (00:56 UTC)
- Expired
- May 26, 2002, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 64 min
- Issued by
- NWS Hastings, NE
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Franklin County, NE
The radar
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:56 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 8:00 PM CDT | Hail 1 | Riverton, NE |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 5:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 170 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1192 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -125 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1891 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 112 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 128 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS53 KGID 270056 TORGRI NEC061-270200- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 755 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... FRANKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA * UNTIL 900 PM CDT * AT 751 PM CDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RIVERTON...OR ABOUT 31 MILES NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE RURAL SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF RIVERTON. ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES WILL MOVE INTO THE COUNTY FROM THE NORTHWEST. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. A TORNADO HAS BEEN SIGHTED. PEOPLE IN FRANKLIN COUNTY SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND GET INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. NEVER TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. IF IN A VEHICLE...LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND GET INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. LAT...LON 4032 9917 4002 9918 4000 9873 4033 9873 & NNNN
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.
NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 26, 12:53 PM CDT, 7 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 26, 12:53 PM CDT, 7 hours 3 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 1253 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002 ...FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERN IS STORM CHC/S THIS AFTN/TONIGHT AND THREAT FOR SVR... LATEST SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS EARNEST MSTR TRANSPORT INTO CNTRL/SW NE ON NOSE OF STG LL SRLY FLOW INADV OF UPPER TROF SITUATED ALG NE/SD BORDER AND ASSOCD/SFC TROF OVR NRN NE. PREFNTL AIRMASS ALREADY QUITE UNSTABLE AND SEEMINGLY PRIMED FOR CONV INITIATION COME LT AFTN. BEST MSTR FLUX CONCURRENT WITHIN AREA OF BTR PRES FALLS ALG A HLC TO BBW LINE W/ INCREASING ACCAS FIELD INVOF SFC RIPPLE AND UPPER WV VCNTY VTN. SO IT SEEMS STORMS SHLD INITIATE SOMEWHERE N OF BBW OVR TO ONL AND SWWD ALG DRYLINE ARND 300 PM...SIMILAR TO ETA/META PROG...AND DEVELOPMENT SWWD ALG SFC THETA GRADIENT. NOCTURNAL LL JET INCREASE INTO SC NE THIS EVENING WILL LIKELY AIDE IN MCS DVLPMNT OVR NE HALF OF CWA...SOMEWHAT FURTHER WWD THEN YDA/S MODEL PROGS AND THEN A PROPAGATION E/SE INTO NE KS LATE. OTHERWISE...APPEARS DRYLINE WILL REMAIN OUTSIDE CWA WRN BORDER AND HAVE LTL ACTIVITY ASSOCD/W IT HERE BUT WILL BEAR MONITORING. DEEP LYR SHEAR ALTHOUGH NOT IMPRESSIVE MORE THEN ENOUGH IN TANDEM W/MODERATE INSTABILITY TO SUSTAIN UPDRAFTS W/SIG DIRECTIONAL COMPONENT COMBINED W/MID LVL DRYNESS MAKES FOR MODEST LG HAIL THREAT. FOR MON...APPEARS ANY LINGERING STORMS... RESIDUAL CLD DEBRIS AND LG SCALE SUBSIDENCE WILL SUBSEQUENTLY KEEP RENEWED STORM THREAT AT BAY UNTIL MON NIGHT IN ASSOCN/W NXT UPSTREAM UPPER TROF OVR WA ATTM. GOING TEMPS FOR MON WILL NEED CONSIDERABLE MODIFICATION DOWNWARD GIVEN ABV EXPECTATIONS. AFT THAT...APPEARS LG SCALE HGT RISES AND SRN STREAM SPLIT CUTOFF LOW MIGRATING THRU SRN PLAINS WILL PRETTY MUCH PRECLUDE ANY PRECIP MENTION THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AS TEMPS WARM TO SUMMER LIKE LEVELS W/TUE PD STILL UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT AND THEREBY NECESSITATING KEEPING THE GOING POPS THEN. .GID...NONE. TEH
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 26, 6:11 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
611 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0558 PM CAMPBELL NE 1 INCH HAIL
05/26/02 FRANKLIN REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0559 PM NATOMA KS 1 INCH HAIL
05/26/02 OSBORNE REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
OBSERVER.Local storm report, May 26, 7:16 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
716 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0656 PM CAIRO NE TORNADO
05/26/02 HALL POSSIBLE TORNADO
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
SEVERAL LARGE TREES
DOWN AND TRAILER DAMAGED.
0657 PM 4 N ST PAUL NE TORNADO
05/26/02 HOWARD REPORTED BY PUBLIC 4
MILES NORTH OF HIGHWAY
92 NEAR ST. PAUL..
0706 PM 6 N ALDA NE TORNADO
05/26/02 HALL REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0714 PM 1 W CHAPMAN NE TORNADO
05/26/02 MERRICK REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.Local storm report, May 26, 7:20 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
720 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0716 PM 1 SW CHAPMAN NE TORNADO
05/26/02 MERRICK REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.Local storm report, May 26, 7:34 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
734 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0705 PM GRAND IS NE 70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/26/02 HALL REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0705 PM ALTON KS 1 INCH HAIL
05/26/02 OSBORNE REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.
0725 PM 12 WSW FULLERTON NE TORNADO
05/26/02 NANCE REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0732 PM CENTRAL CITY NE .88 INCH HAIL
05/26/02 MERRICK
WWUS53 KGID 270035
SVSGRI
NEZ061-270045-
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
732 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR PEOPLE IN BUFFALO COUNTY
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT...
PEOPLE IN BUFFALO COUNTY SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
AT 731 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN SHELTON AND GIBBON...OR ABOUT
13 MILES NORTHWEST OF KEARNEY...MOVING EAST AT AROUND 20 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE STORM INCLUDE RURAL EASTERN
BUFFALO COUNTY.
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL THE
SIZE OF GOLFBALLS ARE LIKELY. ALSO...THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY
OF PRODUCING TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HASTINGS.
LAT...LON 4095 9941 4070 9938 4071 9875 4097 9874
NNNNLocal storm report, May 26, 7:40 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
740 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0725 PM KEARNEY NE .75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02 BUFFALO REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0738 PM FRANKLIN NE 4 INCH HAIL
05/26/02 FRANKLIN REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.Local storm report, May 26, 7:50 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
750 PM CDT SUN MAY 26 2002
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0745 PM 3 NW WILSONVILLE NE TORNADO
05/26/02 FURNAS REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
0747 PM 10 S CAMBRIDGE NE TORNADO
05/26/02 FURNAS REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.The office that day
Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Buffalo | 44 min |
| May 26, 7:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Merrick, Nance | 51 min |
| May 26, 7:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Kearney | 53 min |
| May 26, 7:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Furnas | 65 min |
| May 26, 7:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Hamilton | 63 min |
| May 26, 7:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Kearney | 45 min |
| May 26, 7:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Polk, York | 67 min |
| May 26, 7:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Adams, Hall | 64 min |
| May 26, 7:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Harlan, Phelps | 61 min |
| May 26, 8:16 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Kearney | 44 min |
| May 26, 8:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Harlan | 43 min |
| May 26, 8:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Nuckolls | 67 min |
| May 26, 9:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Franklin | 44 min |
| May 26, 9:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Franklin | 33 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes in 2002
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.