Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, July 17, 2001

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, July 17, 2001
Start: 2001-07-17T12:20
End: 2001-07-17T21:15
Location: Nebraska

July 17, 2001 · NWS LBF · 20 events in 6 counties and zones

16 hail, 4 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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: $167,000
Crop damage: $64,000
Events: 20

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 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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 11:15 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 11:15 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...PRELIMINARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1215 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

FORECAST FOR TONIGHT...
   THERE IS PLENTY OF DEEP MOISTURE AVAILABLE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN
NEBRASKA WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS OF 65F OR HIGHER AND 850MB
DEWPOINTS OF 10-14C. THE 12Z ETA HAS 180AGL BASED POSITIVE ENERGY
OF 3000-4200J/KG EAST OF VALENTINE-BRADY. IT APPEARS THAT THE
VERTICAL WIND PROFILES AND INSTABILITY WILL FAVOR BACK BUILDING
STORMS ONCE AGAIN. THE CONVECTION IN IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND KEYA
PAHACOUNTY SHOULD GENERATE A BOUNDARY THAT WOULD SERVE AS A FOCUS
FOR NEW CONVECTION TONIGHT. AS MUCH AS 7.7 INCHES HAS BEEN REPORTED
IN NORTHERN ROCK COUNTY IN LAST NIGHTS CONVECTION. THAT WAS VERY
CLOSE TO THE KLNX WSR-88D DERIVED STORM TOTAL. AS OF 1145 THIS
MORNING...THE RADAR TOTALS INDICATE AS MUCH AS 2.5 INCHES IN
NORTHWEST KEYA PAHA COUNTY. THE THREE HOURLY FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS
LESS THAN 2 INCHES OVER KEYA PAHA, BOYD, HOLT, AND ROCK CONTIES.
BARRING ANY INDICATION THAT CONVECTION WILL NOT DEVELOP UP THERE...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE NEEDED.

    THE REST OF THE DISCUSSION WILL BE ISSUED LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

.LBF...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NEZ006-007-009-010.

SPRINGER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 17, 8:10 AM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE, NE
910 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001...CORRECTED DATE

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

0530 PM    6 N NEWPORT               NE   FLASH FLOODS
07/16/01   ROCK                           7.70 INCHES OF RAIN FELL
                                          OVER A 3.5 HOUR PERIOD
                                          DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS.

JM

Local storm report, Jul 17, 9:12 AM CST, 3 hours 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE, NE
1012 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

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

0530 PM    11 NNE NEWPORT            NE   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/16/01   ROCK                           REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0630 PM    6 ENE PAGE                NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/16/01   HOLT                           REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0800 PM    7 SW EWING                NE   .88 INCH HAIL
07/16/01   HOLT                           REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

JZ

Special weather statement, Jul 17, 10:33 AM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-172045-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1133 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 83. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS
MAY DEVELOP ACROSS AREAS WEST OF HIGHWAY 83...BUT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
REACH SEVERE LIMITS.

A SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ACROSS NEBRASKA WILL ALLOW
ABUNDANT MOISTURE TO REMAIN IN PLACE OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN INTO
THE 90S...ALLOWING THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE.
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH DEVELOP MAY QUICKLY REACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS.

DP

Local storm report, Jul 17, 10:45 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE, NE
1145 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

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

0700 PM    2 SE EWING                NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/16/01   HOLT                           REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0715 PM    1 SE EWING                NE   WIND DAMAGE
                                          BARN AND GRAIN BIN
                                          DESTROYED.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0715 PM    2 SE EWING                NE   WIND DAMAGE
                                          ON HOLT/ANTELOPE CNTY
                                          LINE. 100 TREES DAMAGED
                                          WITH 25-30 TREES UPROOTED.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0715 PM    2 SE EWING                NE   WIND DAMAGE
                                          ON HOLT/ANTELOPE CNTY
                                          LINE. MACHINE SHED
                                          DAMAGED.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERSZ
JZ

Local storm report, Jul 17, 10:55 AM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE, NE
1155 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001...ADDED DATES TO REPORTS

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

0700 PM    2 SE EWING                NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/16/01   HOLT                           REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0715 PM    1 SE EWING                NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/16/01                                  BARN AND GRAIN BIN
                                          DESTROYED.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0715 PM    2 SE EWING                NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/16/01                                  ON HOLT/ANTELOPE CNTY
                                          LINE. 100 TREES DAMAGED
                                          WITH 25-30 TREES UPROOTED.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0715 PM    2 SE EWING                NE   WIND DAMAGE
07/16/01                                  ON HOLT/ANTELOPE CNTY
                                          LINE. MACHINE SHED
                                    ]      DAMAGED.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS
JZ

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:18 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 hail, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Cherry

When: July 17, 12:20 PM CST
Where: Cherry County, 11 mi NW of Wood Lake
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.233, -99.433

Hail, Keya Paha

When: July 17, 12:45 PM CST
Where: Keya Paha County, 19 mi W of Springview
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.200, -99.250

Hail, Rock

When: July 17, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Rock County, 2 mi N of Rose
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.933, -99.150

Hail, Rock

When: July 17, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Rock County, 3 mi NE of Rose
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $12,000
Crop damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.083, -99.300

Hail, Rock

When: July 17, 4:58 PM CST
Where: Rock County, 11 mi E of Rose
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.083, -99.100

Hail, Rock

When: July 17, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Rock County, 12 mi SE of Rose
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.000, -99.250

Hail, Holt

When: July 17, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Holt County, 14 mi SW of Amelia
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.850, -99.050

Hail, Loup

When: July 17, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Loup County, 17 mi NE of Taylor
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.067, -99.133

Hail, Garfield

When: July 17, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 20 mi N of Burwell
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.000, -99.250

Tornado, Loup

When: July 17, 6:12 PM CST to 6:15 PM CST
Where: Loup County, 15 mi NNE of Taylor
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.233, -99.467

A brief tornado touchdown occurred northeast of Taylor on the south side of Calamus Reservoir over open rangeland. No damage was reported.

Tornado, Holt

When: July 17, 6:14 PM CST to 7:07 PM CST
Where: Holt County, 3 mi S of Chambers
Rating: F0
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 1 yd
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.933, -99.050

The tornado touched down 3 miles south of Chambers and preceeded slowly southeast. No damage was reported as the tornado tracked to near Highway 281, 6 miles southeast of Chambers, before lifting.

Hail, Loup

When: July 17, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Loup County, 17 mi NNE of Taylor
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Crop damage: $8,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.000, -99.133

Tornado, Loup

When: July 17, 6:20 PM CST to 6:55 PM CST
Where: Loup County, 17 mi NNE of Taylor
Rating: F0
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $6,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.183, -98.750

As the supercell continued to track northeast and intensify, a second tornado touched down on the north side of the reservoir about 17 miles north northeast of Taylor. The second tornado was larger and longer lived as it moved across open rangeland. Four windmills were destroyed and 36 cattle were instantly killed. An additional 14 cattle were destroyed due to injuries. The tornado lifted as it moved toward the Loup and Garfield county line on the north side of Calamus Reservoir.

Hail, Holt

When: July 17, 6:44 PM CST
Where: Holt County, 1 mi S of Chambers
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.900, -98.983

Hail, Garfield

When: July 17, 6:49 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 15 mi N of Burwell
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Property damage: $12,000
Crop damage: $8,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 41.917, -99.133

Tornado, Garfield

When: July 17, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 6 mi NE of Burwell
Rating: F0
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.150, -98.750

A tornado touched down briefly 6 miles northeast of Burwell in open rangeland with no damage.

Hail, Garfield

When: July 17, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 9 mi N of Burwell
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.900, -98.983

Hail, Garfield

When: July 17, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 11 mi NNE of Burwell
Measured: 2 in hail
Property damage: $12,000
Crop damage: $8,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.967, -99.267

Hail of various sizes fell for half an hour.

Hail, Garfield

When: July 17, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 11 mi NE of Burwell
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $6,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.750, -100.383

Hail, Garfield

When: July 17, 9:15 PM CST
Where: Garfield County, 11 mi NE of Burwell
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $8,000
Crop damage: $4,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.817, -100.117

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Nebraska, 2001 Warnings in Nebraska, July 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: 5256497, 5256498, 5256499, 5256500, 5256501, 5256503, 5256504, 5256502, 5256505, 5255233, 5256559, 5256506, 5256557, 5256560, 5256558, 5256507, 5256561, 5256562, 5255231, 5255232.