Nebraska, 2001

Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, August 23, 2001

August 23, 2001 · NWS GID · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

Thunderstorms rolled across the area and produced high winds. The scoreboard at the Alma football field was blown over and damaged.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.

Thunderstorms rolled across the area and produced high winds. The scoreboard at the Alma football field was blown over and damaged.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Aug 23, 1:00 PM CST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 1:00 PM CST, 3 hours before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
200 PM CDT THU AUG 23 2001

CONCERN IS WITH PCPN CHANCES TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR THE CWA.

WV PICS FROM SPACE SHOW UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH CURRENTLY
SPINNING OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA.
VISIBLE PICS SHOW LOTS OF MAINLY CLEAR SKIES OVER KS AND MOST OF
EASTERN NEBRASKA...THUS MAKING IT EASIER FOR HEATING AND
DESTABILIZATION OF LOWER LEVELS. SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE CURRENTLY IN
THE MID TO UPPER 60S. BUT MID LAPSE RATES ONLY LOOK TO BE AROUND 5
TO 6. HOWEVER...MORNING CAPE VALUES WERE BETWEEN 2500 TO 3500
J/KG...HIGHEST OVER OUR WESTERN CWA. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS
BOUNDARY LYING FROM EAST CENTRAL COLORADO INTO SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS
WITH A LEE TROUGH FROM EASTERN WYOMING ON THE NORTH DOWN TO NEAR THE
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE ON THE SOUTH. HEAT AND CONVERGENCE IN AND AROUND
THESE BOUNDARIES HAVE ALREADY SPARKED CONVECTION OVER OUR WEST
CENTRAL CWA. HOWEVER...MID TO UPPER LEVEL TEMPS NOT ALL THAT
IMPRESSIVE...AND LOW LEVEL EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL REMAIN ON
THE LIGHT SIDE. UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL PROVIDE LIFT OVER OUR
REGION...BUT MOSTLY FOR A GOOD HEAVY SHOWER EVENT...WITH SOME
EMBEDDED THUNDER. BEST SHEAR WILL REMAIN LARGELY SOUTH OF I 70 IN
KANSAS...WHERE THE BEST HEATING AND LOW LEVEL LIFT WILL ALSO RESIDE.
THEREFORE...ALTHOUGH THIS PARTICULAR STORM EVENT SHOULD ELICIT
COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE...DUE TO A RATHER DEEP WATER LAYER OVER
OUR HEADS...I DO NOT EXPECT ANY WIDESPREAD SEVERE TODAY OR TONIGHT
OVER OUR NEBRASKA COUNTIES. OUR KANSAS COUNTIES MAY END UP BEING
RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF SEVERE POTENTIAL...MOSTLY WITH THE CHANCE FOR
SOME LARGE HAIL AND HIGH WIND GUSTS OUT OF A FEW OF THESE. BUT THE
BEST SHOT FOR SUPERCELLS SHOULD REMAIN SOUTH OF OUR CWA.
ANYWAY...GOING 80 POPS OVER ENTIRE CWA FOR TONIGHT...THEN TAPERING
SHOWERS FROM THE WEST TOMORROW...BUT SLOWLY. FRI POPS WILL RANGE
FROM 30 PERCENT WEST...TO 50 PERCENT NORTH EAST AND SOUTH. PEELED
BACK HIGH TEMPS A BIT FOR FRIDAY OVER PREVIOUS DUE TO EXPECTED CLOUD
COVER.

INTO THE FUTURE...COOL FRONT/BOUNDARY DROPS SOUTH SATURDAY...BUT
WASHES OUT NEAR OUR AREA. BEST CHANCES REMAIN OVER WESTERN
NEBRASKA...WITH WEAK LEE TROUGH AND UPPER WAVE MOVING THROUGH TO AID
IN LIFT...LOOKS WEAK THOUGH AT BEST. WILL PUT IN A 20 POP OVER
WESTERN CWA TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CHANCE. MAY ALSO HAVE TO ADD
NORTHERN CWA IF BOUNDARY DOES NOT WASH OUT SOON ENOUGH.

BEYOND THAT...SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SHOULD BE LARGELY NICE AND DRY.
NEXT CHANCE LOOKS TO BE AT END OF FORECAST PERIOD...WITH CHANCES
GETTING BETTER AND BETTER THROUGH THE WEEK. GOING WITH MEAN ENSEMBLE
INTO DAYS 6 AND 7 AND INTRODUCING CHANCE OF THUNDER OVER
NEBRASKA...BUT KEEPING KANSAS DRY.

.GID...NONE.

JB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 23, 10:07 AM CST, 5 hours 53 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-232200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK - SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1107 AM CDT THU AUG 23 2001

...SPOTTER ACTIVATION NOT LIKELY THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON AS THE LOW APPROACHES...THEN BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS
EVENING.  LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER NIGHT.

THE WIND FIELD WILL REMAIN WEAK...SO THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS
LIMITED.  HOWEVER...ISOLATED STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS WITH THE
PRIMARY THREAT COMING FROM DOWN-BURST WIND AND HAIL UP TO ONE INCH IN
DIAMETER.

09
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 12:30 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-232230-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK - SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
130 PM CDT THU AUG 23 2001

...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING...

THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
WILL BE OVER COUNTIES TO THE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
EMERGENCY MANAGERS OVER THOSE COUNTIES AND THOSE IN NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD BE READY TO ACTIVATE THEIR SPOTTERS.  THE
PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT WILL COME FROM NEAR ONE INCH HAIL AND 60
MPH DOWN-BURST WIND.

LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING
THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LOW APPROACHES...THEN BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD
THIS EVENING.  LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER NIGHT.

09
Local storm report, Aug 23, 3:15 PM CST, 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
415 PM CDT THU AUG 23 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0412 PM    LOGAN                     KS    .75 INCH HAIL
08/23/01   PHILLIPS                        REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Harlan

When
August 23, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Harlan County, 1 mi W of Alma
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
40.100, -99.367

Thunderstorm Wind, Harlan

When
August 23, 4:20 PM CST
Where
Harlan County, Orleans
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
40.133, -99.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Harlan

When
August 23, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Harlan County, Alma
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.100, -99.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
August 23, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, 4 mi NW of Naponee
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
40.117, -99.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
August 23, 5:25 PM CST
Where
Franklin County, 1 mi E of Upland
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.317, -98.883

Thunderstorm Wind, Webster

When
August 23, 5:35 PM CST
Where
Webster County, Red Cloud
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.100, -98.533

Thunderstorm Wind, Adams

When
August 23, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Adams County, 5 mi NE of Holstein
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
40.517, -98.583

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, August 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5265763, 5265764, 5265765, 5265766, 5265767, 5265768, 5265769.