Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2004
Tornado Warning 41, NWS Omaha, NE
NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at May 22, 2004, 9:45 PM CDT for Saline County, Nebraska. It was in force for 45 min. 6 reports 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 22, 2004, 9:45 PM CDT (02:45 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 2004, 10:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Omaha, NE
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Saline County, NE
The radar
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:45 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 22, 9:54 PM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 1 Sw Swanton, NE | |
| May 22, 9:54 PM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 1 Sw Swanton, NE | |
| May 22, 9:54 PM CDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | 1 Sw Swanton, NE | |
| May 22, 9:55 PM CDT | HAIL 0.75 | Wilber, NE | |
| May 22, 9:55 PM CDT | HAIL 0.75 | Wilber, NE | |
| May 22, 9:55 PM CDT | HAIL 0.75 | Wilber, NE |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
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 22, 3:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 115 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
- 2882 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1091 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 64 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 51 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 260 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.2
- Supercell composite
- 16.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
128 WFUS53 KOAX 230245 TOROAX NEC151-230330- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE 945 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... SALINE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA * UNTIL 1030 PM CDT * AT 940 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE STORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WESTERN...OR ABOUT 27 MILES WEST OF BEATRICE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WESTERN...SWANTON DE WITT WILBER THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO GO BELOW GROUND LEVEL IF POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWEST IOWA AND EASTERN NEBRASKA. LAT...LON 4050 9730 4035 9728 4035 9691 4060 9691 $$ DEWALD
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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 22, 1:50 PM CDT, 7 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:50 PM CDT, 7 hours 55 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 150 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004 .DISCUSSION... PRIMARY CONCERNS WILL DEAL WITH THE SHORT TERM AND NEXT ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. REMNANTS OF OUTFLOW BOUNDRY THAT WAS ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER EARLIER THIS MORNING HAS PRETTY MUCH WASHED OUT WITH 18Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWING MAIN BOUNDRY FROM NORTHERN NEBRASKA INTO NORTHERN IOWA. 18Z OAX UA DATA ALSO SHOWING THAT MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES HAVE RECOVERED QUICKLY FROM EARLIER THIS MORNING SO LATEST SPC DISCUSSION SEEMS REASONABLE WITH STORMS EXPECTED TO LIGHT UP AGAIN IN THE VICINITY OF THE SURFACE BOUNDRY ACROSS NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON. STILL PLENTY OF MOISTURE IN PLACE WITH 12Z META SETTING UP 850 THETA-E AXIS FROM SOUTHERN NEBRASKA INTO SOUTHERN IOWA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. THE FLOOD WATCH ISSUED EARLER FOR ABOUT THE NORTH HALF OF THE CWA STILL LOOKS GOOD AT THIS TIME AND NO ADJUSTMENTS PLANNED. OVERALL LITTLE CHANGE TO THE FORECAST WITH A BREAK IN THE ACTIVE WEATHER FOR SUNDAY AND NEXT CHANCE OF STORMS COMING IN ON MONDAY WITH NEXT FRONT AND UPPER WAVE. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...FLOOD WATCH 4 PM SAT TO 4 AM SUN FROM BUTLER SAUNDERS AND SARPY COUNTIES NORTHWARD. IA...FLOOD WATCH 4 PM SAT TO 4 AM SUN FROM POTTAWATTMIE COUNTY NORTHWARD. && NOTE...EFFECTIVE 1200 UTC JUNE 8TH THE AWIPS PRODUCT IDENTIFIER /PID/ FOR THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION ISSUED BY OMAHA WFO WILL CHANGE TO OMAAFDOAX. THE WMO CODE WILL REMAIN FXUS63 KOAX. FOBERT
Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 5:10 PM CDT, 4 hours 35 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 510 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004 IAZ043-055-056-069-NEZ015-030>034-042>045-050>053-230500- BOONE-BURT-BUTLER-COLFAX-CUMING-DODGE-DOUGLAS-HARRISON IA-MADISON- MONONA IA-PLATTE-POTTAWATTAMIE IA-SARPY-SAUNDERS-SHELBY IA-STANTON- THURSTON-WASHINGTON- 510 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND FLOODING. ISOLATED STRONG TORNADOES MAY ALSO OCCUR. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS INDICATED THAT A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE. STORMS SHOULD EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO A LARGE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND LARGE HAIL EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CDT. VERY UNSTABLE AIR WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AS LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS MOVES TO WEST CENTRAL IOWA BY LATE TONIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING THREAT WILL LAST WELL INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AS WELL AS LATE NEXT WEEK. LATER HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS WILL ADDRESS THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 11 PM CDT. STORM SPOTTER WILL BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING. IAZ079-080-090-091-NEZ065>068-078-088>093-230500- CASS-FREMONT IA-GAGE-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LANCASTER-MILLS IA- MONTGOMERY IA-NEMAHA-OTOE-PAGE IA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON-SALINE-SEWARD- 510 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWESTERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. STRONG TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. VERY UNSTABLE AIR WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AS LOW PRESSURE INTENSIFIES OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS AND MOVES TO WEST CENTRAL IOWA BY LATE TONIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL LAST INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AS WELL AS LATE NEXT WEEK. LATER HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS WILL ADDRESS THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 11 PM CDT. STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. NEZ011-012-016>018-230500- ANTELOPE-CEDAR-KNOX-PIERCE-WAYNE- 510 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS THE AREA. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND FLOODING. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS INDICATED THAT A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE. STORMS SHOULD EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO A LARGE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND LARGE HAIL EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CDT. VERY UNSTABLE AIR WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AS LOW PRESSURE INTENSIFIES OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS AND MOVES TO WEST CENTRAL IOWA BY LATE TONIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING THREAT WILL LAST WELL INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AS WELL AS LATE NEXT WEEK. LATER HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS WILL ADDRESS THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION LATER THIS EVENING. FOBERT
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 22, 9:01 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
901 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0840 PM TSTM WND DMG 10 NW BEATRICE 40.37N 96.88W
05/22/2004 GAGE NE LAW ENFORCEMENT
HOUSES DAMAGED IN NORTHWEST GAGE C0UNTY.
0837 PM HAIL 4 SW WOODBINE 41.70N 95.76W
05/22/2004 0.88 INCH HARRISON IA AMATEUR RADIO
0830 PM TSTM WND GST 14 N BEATRICE 40.47N 96.75W
05/22/2004 60 MPH GAGE NE TRAINED SPOTTER
AT JUNCTION OF HIGHWAYS 77 AND 41.
0845 PM HAIL 3 NE NEOLA 41.48N 95.58W
05/22/2004 1.00 INCH POTTAWATTAMIE IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
0843 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 S LOGAN 41.60N 95.79W
05/22/2004 HARRISON IA AMATEUR RADIO
STREET FLOODING AND WATER OVER ROAD.
0848 PM TORNADO 3 S HARLAN 41.61N 95.33W
05/22/2004 SHELBY IA EMERGENCY MNGR
AT F-58 AND JUNIPER RD.
0852 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NE HALLAM 40.58N 96.73W
05/22/2004 80 MPH LANCASTER NE AMATEUR RADIO
TRACTOR TRAILER BLOWN OVER.
0807 PM HAIL MISSOURI VALLEY 41.56N 95.90W
05/22/2004 1.00 INCH HARRISON IA AMATEUR RADIO
0858 PM TORNADO LINCOLN 40.82N 96.69W
05/22/2004 LANCASTER NE AMATEUR RADIO
HIGHWAY 77 AND FIRTH ROAD. MAJOR DAMGE TO POWER LINES AND
TREES.
&&
SKLocal storm report, May 22, 9:25 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
925 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM FLOOD 3 N LOGAN 41.69N 95.79W
05/22/2004 HARRISON IA AMATEUR RADIO
LOWLAND FLOODING WATER OVER ROAD
&&
SKLocal storm report, May 22, 9:27 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
927 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0858 PM TORNADO 1 N FIRTH 40.55N 96.60W
05/22/2004 LANCASTER NE AMATEUR RADIO
ONE MILE NORTH OF FIRTH WITH HEAVY DAMAGE
&&
SKLocal storm report, May 22, 9:32 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
932 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0837 PM HAIL 4 SW WOODBINE 41.70N 95.76W
05/22/2004 0.88 INCH HARRISON IA AMATEUR RADIO
&&
JBLocal storm report, May 22, 9:36 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
936 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0914 PM TORNADO 1 NW DOUGLAS 40.60N 96.40W
05/22/2004 OTOE NE TRAINED SPOTTER
BRIEF TOUCHDOWN
&&
JBLocal storm report, May 22, 9:38 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
938 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0935 PM TSTM WND DMG HICKMAN 40.62N 96.63W
05/22/2004 LANCASTER NE CO-OP OBSERVER
SHED DESTROYED
&&
JBThe office that day
Everything else NWS Omaha, NE issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Dodge, Washington | 59 min |
| May 22, 7:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Dodge, Washington | 62 min |
| May 22, 7:19 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Jefferson, Saline | 56 min |
| May 22, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Antelope, Boone, Madison | 64 min |
| May 22, 8:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Platte | 23 min |
| May 22, 8:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Gage, Lancaster | 66 min |
| May 22, 8:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Saline | 10 min |
| May 22, 8:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Saline | 67 min |
| May 22, 8:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Seward | 49 min |
| May 22, 9:01 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Douglas, Washington | 6 hr |
| May 22, 9:05 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Otoe | 55 min |
| May 22, 9:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Gage, Lancaster | 57 min |
| May 22, 9:31 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Jefferson | 29 min |
| May 22, 9:33 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Lancaster, Saline | 6 hr |
| May 22, 9:35 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Cass | 40 min |
| May 22, 10:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Otoe | 58 min |
| May 22, 10:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Jefferson | 23 min |
| May 22, 10:13 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Dodge | 6 hr |
| May 22, 10:16 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Madison | 6 hr |
| May 22, 10:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Gage, Lancaster | 43 min |
| May 22, 10:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Madison, Pierce | 38 min |
| May 22, 10:23 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Stanton | 6 hr |
| May 22, 10:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Jefferson, Saline | 60 min |
| May 22, 10:31 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Otoe | 6 hr |
| May 22, 10:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Gage, Jefferson | 66 min |
| May 22, 11:02 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Gage | 6 hr |
| May 22, 11:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Johnson, Lancaster, Otoe | 66 min |
| May 22, 11:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Nemaha | 64 min |
| May 23, 12:00 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Pierce | 4 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2004Every tornado warning in 2004Tornadoes in 2004
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.