Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Omaha, NE

April 21, 2005Johnson County, Nemaha County, Otoe County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Apr 21, 2005, 4:47 PM CDT for Johnson County, Nemaha County, Otoe County, Nebraska. It was in force for 28 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Apr 21, 2005, 4:47 PM CDT (21:47 UTC)
Expired: Apr 21, 2005, 5:15 PM CDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Omaha, NE
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Johnson County, NE, Nemaha County, NE, Otoe County, NE

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:47 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.

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
Apr 21, 11:35 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr
Apr 21, 3:35 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 93 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 51 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -375 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 777 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -238 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -180 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 
WFUS53 KOAX 212147
TOROAX
NEC097-127-131-212215-
/O.NEW.KOAX.TO.W.0006.050421T2147Z-050421T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
447 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  OTOE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
  NEMAHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
  JOHNSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 515 PM CDT

* AT 441 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
  A TORNADO. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  COOK...OR ABOUT 31 MILES WEST OF ROCK PORT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30
  MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  NEBRASKA CITY AROUND 505 PM CDT

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR A PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF A BASEMENT IS NOT
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. GO TO
AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR
BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 4040 9619 4059 9621 4073 9589 4056 9579
      4043 9599

$$

NIETFELD/BOUSTEAD

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KOAX 212154
SVSOAX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
453 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

NEC097-127-131-212215-
/O.CON.KOAX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-050421T2215Z/
OTOE NE-NEMAHA NE-JOHNSON NE-
453 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 515 PM CDT FOR JOHNSON...NEMAHA
AND OTOE COUNTIES...

AT 452 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LORTON VILLAGE...
OR ABOUT 32 MILES WEST OF ROCK PORT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  LORTON VILLAGE BY 500 PM CDT
  DUNBAR BY 505 PM CDT
  NEBRASKA CITY BY 515 PM CDT

AT 442 PM CDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED 1.25 INCH HAIL IN EASTERN 
LINCOLN. 

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 4040 9619 4059 9621 4073 9589 4056 9579
      4043 9599

$$

NIETFELD/BOUSTEAD

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 Apr 21, 2:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 2:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
250 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

.DISCUSSION...

...MESOSCALE UPDATE...

CURRENTLY ISSUING WARNINGS ON STORM MOVING INTO BOON COUNTY. RADAR
DISPLAYS NEARLY 60 DBZ TO 20 K FT...WHICH SHOULD EASILY BE FAVORABLE
FOR HAIL. LATEST RUC ANLYS SOUNDINGS FOR THIS AREA INDCS A STABLE
LAYER TO NEAR THE SURFACE AND THIS MAY PRECLUDE TORNADO THREAT. THIS
STORMS ALSO REALLY IS NOT DISPLAYING ANY LO-LVL ROTATION.

STORMS ARE ALSO FIRING ALNG THE DRYLINE IN FILLMORE AND YORK COUNTY.
RUC ANLYS INDCS THESE STORMS ARE IN A MUCH BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR
SURFACED-BASED PARCELS TO BE INGESTED INTO THE STORM. STORM IN
FILLMORE COUNTY ALREADY DISPLAYING SOME MID-LVL ROTATION AND SHLD BE
SVR AS IT ENTERS THE CWA. STILL UNCERTAINTY TO ACTUAL QUALITY OF
THE NR SFC BASED STABILITY...BUT WE WILL BE VERY CLOSELY MONITORING
STORMS IN THIS AREA FOR ANY POSSIBLE TORS AS IT MOVES INTO
SEWARD/SALINE.

LEFT MOVER ALSO MOVING NWD THRU NRN KS AND ALTHOUGH HODOGRAPHS DO
SUPPORT SOME MID-LVL CYCLONIC ROTATION FAVORABLE FOR ANTI-CYCLONIC
STORMS...THIS THREAT IS MAINLY FM THE RIGHT MOVES. WE WILL CONTINUE
TO MONITOR THIS STORM THOUGH AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST.

BOUSTEAD

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
FORECAST CONCERNS INITIALLY WILL BE SEVERE WEATHER...THEN HEAVY
RAIN...AND STRONG WINDS FRIDAY.  ATTENTION FOR THIS WEEKEND TURNS TO
FREEZING/FROST CONDITIONS.

THE RADIOSONDE FROM THIS MORNING HAD NEARLY 200% NORMAL PRECIPITABLE
WATER WITH 1.01 IN AND DRIER AIR FROM 11K TO 2K...THUS SOME GUSTY
WINDS WITH SOME OF THE EARLY TSRA.  WE ARE DOING AN 18Z BALLOON...SO
WILL GET THAT DATA EARLY TAF.

THE CLOSED LOW WAS OVER WRN NEB WITH CONVECTION AROUND THE LOW. THE
H5 TEMPS WERE QUITE COLD WITH -25 DEG C OVR WY AND CO AND -18 DEG.
THE H85 THERMAL RIDGE FM TX INTO ERN KS...WITH THE BETTER H85 WERE
FM ERN OK INTO ARKANSAS...WITH A SECONDARY MAX OVR ERN NEB..

SPOTTY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEPICTED ON THE LATEST WSR-88D
IMAGE.  A LARGER CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER NRN MO AND INTO
SD...WITH MORE WIDESPREAD RAINS INTO WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
ISOLATED CELLS WERE DEVELOPING OVER WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. THE LATEST
SUBJECTIVE SFC ANALYSIS HAD THE WRMFNT FROM LOW PRES OVR WCNTRL NEB
AND THE DRYLINE INTO CNTRL NEB.  THE BEST DEEP MOISTURE CONVERGENCE
WAS ALONG BOTH OF THESE BOUNDARIES.  TEMPERATURES WERE APPROACHING
80 DEGREES IN THE WARM SECTOR.  SFC DEWPOINTS WERE IN THE LOWER 60S
ALONG THE WRMFNT. THE VISIBLE STLT IS ALSO SHOWING PLENTY OF
SUNSHINE.  A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT AND A MODERATE RISK
CATCHING MOST FAVORABLE AREA FOR SEVERE WX WITH LOW HEADING TOWARD
SE NEB AND TRIPLE POINT IN SE NEB.  HAVE STRONG WORDING TAF AND THIS
EVENING FOR SEVERE WX POTENTIAL WITH TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND
HEAVY RAIN.  THE LOW WILL BE INTO SW IA BY THIS EVENING...THUS A
WATCH MAY BE EXTENDING FARTHER EAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ONCE THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT LESSENS...THE FOCUS WILL BE ON
RAINFALL.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE
CONVECTION...THEN LATER TONIGHT THE DEFORMATION BAND AROUND THE LOW
WILL PRODUCE STEADY RAINS OVER FOR THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING.  LOOK FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT.  THE
BUFKIT WAS SHOWING SOME PERIODS OF 30 TO 40 KT WINDS MIXING DOWN.
LATER SHIFTS MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER AN ADVISORY BEHIND THE FRONT...FOR
NOW WILL INCLUDE WINDY IN THE FCST.  LOOK FOR COOLER TEMPERATURES
FRI WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S TO LOWER 60S.

FROST AND FREEZE CONDITIONS LOOK FAVORABLE FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
AM. HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THIS IN THE HWO.  HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN FOR
SAT AND SUN.  DRY AND COOLER FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND.  A STRONGER
LOBE OF ENERGY WILL ROTATE DOWN THROUGH THE PLAINS MON INTO
TUES...WITH A SFC LOW COMING INTO THE PLAINS WED NIGHT INTO THUR.
DID NOT CHANGE CHC FOR PRECIP MUCH MON INTO TUES AS MODELS HAVE BEEN
FLIP FLOPPING.  CONTINUED AT OR BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

NE...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON FRIDAY FOR NEZ015-018-032>034-043>
045-050>053-067.
IA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON FRIDAY FOR IAZ043-055-056-069-079-
080-090-091.

&&

ZAPOTOCNY

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 11:51 AM CDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1151 AM CDT THU APR 21 2005

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-212330-
ANTELOPE-BOONE-BURT-BUTLER-CASS-CEDAR-COLFAX-CUMING-DODGE-DOUGLAS-
FREMONT IA-GAGE-HARRISON IA-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-KNOX-LANCASTER-MADISON-
MILLS IA-MONONA IA-MONTGOMERY IA-NEMAHA-OTOE-PAGE IA-PAWNEE-PIERCE-
PLATTE-POTTAWATTAMIE IA-RICHARDSON-SALINE-SARPY-SAUNDERS-SEWARD-
SHELBY IA-STANTON-THURSTON-WASHINGTON-WAYNE-
1151 AM CDT THU APR 21 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE
ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.  SEVERE
WEATHER IS LIKELY FROM SOME OF THESE STORMS.  A TORNADO WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA UNTIL
5 PM. OUTSIDE OF THE WATCH AREA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE
WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER
WILL LAST WELL INTO THE EVENING HOURS...AS A STORM SYSTEM ALOFT
CROSSES OVER THE REGION.

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER...HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE FLASH
FLOODING ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA INTO SOUTHWEST
IOWA.  A FLOOD WATCH FOR THESE AREAS HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL NOON
FRIDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

A FROST OR FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE EARLY SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY MORNINGS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

POLLACK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:25 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
425 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0405 PM     TORNADO          7 S COLUMBUS            41.33N 97.36W
04/21/2005                   BUTLER             NE   PUBLIC

            DESTROYED A BARN...STARTED IN POLK CO. CROSSED HWY 81 AND
            LIFTED IN BUTLER CO.

&&

BA

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:26 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
426 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0419 PM     HAIL             6 S SYRACUSE            40.58N 96.18W
04/21/2005  0.75 INCH        OTOE               NE   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

BA

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:33 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
433 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0428 PM     HAIL             5 E SYRACUSE            40.66N 96.09W
04/21/2005  0.75 INCH        OTOE               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BA

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:41 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
441 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0420 PM     HAIL             CORTLAND                40.51N 96.71W
04/21/2005  0.88 INCH        GAGE               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BA

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:43 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
443 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0428 PM     HAIL             5 SW COOK               40.46N 96.23W
04/21/2005  1.00 INCH        JOHNSON            NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

BA

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:45 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
445 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0438 PM     HAIL             EAGLE                   40.82N 96.43W
04/21/2005  1.00 INCH        CASS               NE   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

BA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 21, 12:05 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Nemaha	40 min
Apr 21, 12:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Gage	53 min
Apr 21, 1:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saline	40 min
Apr 21, 1:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Seward	39 min
Apr 21, 2:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Seward	32 min
Apr 21, 2:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone	49 min
Apr 21, 3:00 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Boone	3 hr
Apr 21, 3:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saline	39 min
Apr 21, 3:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Platte	34 min
Apr 21, 3:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Gage	32 min
Apr 21, 3:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Jefferson	29 min
Apr 21, 3:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Pawnee	37 min
Apr 21, 3:26 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Madison, Platte	2 hr
Apr 21, 3:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax	46 min
Apr 21, 3:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Johnson	26 min
Apr 21, 3:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saline	34 min
Apr 21, 3:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Madison, Platte	47 min
Apr 21, 3:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Gage	29 min
Apr 21, 3:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Lancaster, Otoe	38 min
Apr 21, 3:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Johnson	32 min
Apr 21, 4:14 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Nemaha, Otoe	2 hr
Apr 21, 4:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Gage	31 min
Apr 21, 4:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler	46 min
Apr 21, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Johnson, Otoe	31 min
Apr 21, 4:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Lancaster	30 min
Apr 21, 4:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass	23 min
Apr 21, 4:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Sarpy, Saunders	35 min
Apr 21, 4:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Lancaster	16 min
Apr 21, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass	45 min
Apr 21, 5:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Otoe	30 min
Apr 21, 5:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Otoe	32 min
Apr 21, 6:09 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Otoe	96 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2005 Every tornado warning in 2005 Tornadoes in 2005

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.