Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Watches in 2002
Tornado Watch 229
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 5, 2002, 4:30 PM CDT for 20 counties in Iowa; 57 counties in Nebraska; 9 counties in South Dakota. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 5, 2002, 4:30 PM CDT (21:30 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 86 counties
Buena Vista County, IA, Cherokee County, IA, Clay County, IA, Crawford County, IA, Dickinson County, IA, Emmet County, IA, Harrison County, IA, Ida County, IA, Lyon County, IA, Monona County, IA, O'Brien County, IA, Osceola County, IA, Palo Alto County, IA, Plymouth County, IA, Pocahontas County, IA, Pottawattamie County, IA, Sac County, IA, Shelby County, IA, Sioux County, IA, Woodbury County, IA, Adams County, NE, Antelope County, NE, Boone County, NE, Boyd County, NE, Buffalo County, NE, Burt County, NE, Butler County, NE, Cass County, NE, Cedar County, NE, Clay County, NE, Colfax County, NE, Cuming County, NE, Dakota County, NE, Dawson County, NE, Dixon County, NE, Dodge County, NE, Douglas County, NE, Fillmore County, NE, Franklin County, NE, Furnas County, NE, Gage County, NE, Garfield County, NE, Gosper County, NE, Greeley County, NE, Hall County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Harlan County, NE, Holt County, NE, Howard County, NE, Jefferson County, NE, Johnson County, NE, Kearney County, NE, Knox County, NE, Lancaster County, NE, Madison County, NE, Merrick County, NE, Nance County, NE, Nuckolls County, NE, Otoe County, NE, Phelps County, NE, Pierce County, NE, Platte County, NE, Polk County, NE, Saline County, NE, Sarpy County, NE, Saunders County, NE, Seward County, NE, Sherman County, NE, Stanton County, NE, Thayer County, NE, Thurston County, NE, Valley County, NE, Washington County, NE, Wayne County, NE, Webster County, NE, Wheeler County, NE, York County, NE, Bon Homme County, SD, Charles Mix County, SD, Clay County, SD, Douglas County, SD, Hutchinson County, SD, Lincoln County, SD, Turner County, SD, Union County, SD, Yankton County, SD
The radar
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:33 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.
Warnings issued inside it
65 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 5:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Webster | 54 min |
| May 5, 5:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LBF | Holt | 48 min |
| May 5, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Adams | 41 min |
| May 5, 5:31 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Webster | 44 min |
| May 5, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Bon Homme, Charles Mix | 38 min |
| May 5, 5:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Pottawattamie | 37 min |
| May 5, 5:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Clay, Hall, Hamilton | 63 min |
| May 5, 6:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LBF | Holt | 45 min |
| May 5, 6:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Merrick | 59 min |
| May 5, 6:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Pottawattamie | 34 min |
| May 5, 6:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Merrick | 48 min |
| May 5, 6:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Harrison, Shelby | 32 min |
| May 5, 6:16 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Nuckolls, Webster | 44 min |
| May 5, 6:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Kearney | 51 min |
| May 5, 6:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Lancaster, Saline | 39 min |
| May 5, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Gage | 36 min |
| May 5, 6:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Monona | 35 min |
| May 5, 6:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cass, Sarpy | 32 min |
| May 5, 6:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Pottawattamie | 31 min |
| May 5, 6:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Otoe | 28 min |
| May 5, 6:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Nance | 38 min |
| May 5, 6:53 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Platte | 52 min |
| May 5, 6:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Buffalo | 51 min |
| May 5, 7:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Colfax, Dodge | 35 min |
| May 5, 7:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cass, Otoe | 30 min |
| May 5, 7:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Pottawattamie | 28 min |
| May 5, 7:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Furnas, Harlan | 42 min |
| May 5, 7:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 47 min |
| May 5, 7:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Hamilton, Merrick, Polk | 46 min |
| May 5, 7:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Dickinson, Ida, Osceola | 27 min |
| May 5, 7:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Phelps | 38 min |
| May 5, 7:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cuming, Stanton | 22 min |
| May 5, 7:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Harrison | 32 min |
| May 5, 7:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Howard | 40 min |
| May 5, 7:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Dickinson | 21 min |
| May 5, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Shelby | 49 min |
| May 5, 7:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Clay | 32 min |
| May 5, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Burt, Cuming, Thurston | 31 min |
| May 5, 8:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Sac | 44 min |
| May 5, 8:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Buena Vista, Ida | 43 min |
| May 5, 8:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Emmet | 39 min |
| May 5, 8:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Palo Alto | 38 min |
| May 5, 8:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Monona | 23 min |
| May 5, 8:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LBF | Garfield, Wheeler | 50 min |
| May 5, 8:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 46 min |
| May 5, 8:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Woodbury | 42 min |
| May 5, 8:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Cherokee | 22 min |
| May 5, 8:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Franklin, Kearney | 33 min |
| May 5, 8:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Boone | 31 min |
| May 5, 8:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Monona | 45 min |
| May 5, 8:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Clay | 27 min |
| May 5, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Ida | 47 min |
| May 5, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Sherman | 47 min |
| May 5, 8:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Crawford | 28 min |
| May 5, 8:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FSD | Buena Vista | 27 min |
| May 5, 9:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Greeley | 41 min |
| May 5, 9:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Webster | 37 min |
| May 5, 9:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Sac | 34 min |
| May 5, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Boone | 24 min |
| May 5, 9:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Calhoun, Pocahontas | 42 min |
| May 5, 9:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Nuckolls | 53 min |
| May 5, 10:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Thayer | 66 min |
| May 5, 10:26 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GID | Thayer | 34 min |
| May 5, 10:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Jefferson | 27 min |
| May 5, 10:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Gage | 24 min |
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 134 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1239 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 242 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 208 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WWUS20 KWNS 052124 SEL9 SPC WW 052120 IAZ000-NEZ000-SDZ000-060400- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 229 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 420 PM CDT SUN MAY 5 2002 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN IOWA CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA FAR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 430 PM UNTIL 1100 PM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 110 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES SOUTH OF HASTINGS NEBRASKA TO 60 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF SPENCER IOWA. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. OTHER WATCH INFORMATION... CONTINUE...WW 226...WW 227...WW 228... DISCUSSION...SEVERE CONVECTION IN THE FORM OF SUPERCELLS WILL OVERSPREAD THE WW THROUGH THE EVENING. CLUSTER OF SEVERE STORMS WILL LIKELY LIFT NNEWD OUT OF CENTRAL KS...WHILE SEPARATE AREA DEVELOPS INVOF LEE TROUGH/COLD FRONT NOW MOVING INTO SERN SD/CENTRAL NEB. STRONG SHEAR AND MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL FAVOR LONG-LIVED SUPERCELLS WITH AN ATTENDANT THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035. ...EVANS 400,1003 432,0982 432,0940 400,0962 WWUS20 KWNS 052124 SEL9 SPC WW 052120 IAZ000-NEZ000-SDZ000-060400- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 229 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 420 PM CDT SUN MAY 5 2002 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN IOWA CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA FAR SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 430 PM UNTIL 1100 PM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 110 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES SOUTH OF HASTINGS NEBRASKA TO 60 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF SPENCER IOWA. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. OTHER WATCH INFORMATION... CONTINUE...WW 226...WW 227...WW 228... DISCUSSION...SEVERE CONVECTION IN THE FORM OF SUPERCELLS WILL OVERSPREAD THE WW THROUGH THE EVENING. CLUSTER OF SEVERE STORMS WILL LIKELY LIFT NNEWD OUT OF CENTRAL KS...WHILE SEPARATE AREA DEVELOPS INVOF LEE TROUGH/COLD FRONT NOW MOVING INTO SERN SD/CENTRAL NEB. STRONG SHEAR AND MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL FAVOR LONG-LIVED SUPERCELLS WITH AN ATTENDANT THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035. ...EVANS 400,1003 432,0982 432,0940 400,0962
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 6:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Dickinson, Emmet, Howard, Lyon, Osceola, Winnebago and 1 more | 6 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Nebraska, 2002Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2002Tornado Watches in South Dakota, 2002Every tornado watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.