High Wind in Nebraska, April 18, 2002

Name: High Wind in Nebraska, April 18, 2002
Start: 2002-04-18T00:59
End: 2002-04-18T02:15
Location: Nebraska

April 18, 2002 · NWS OAX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 1
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 OAX wrote it up.

A strong low level jet was aided by weakening and dissipating showers and thunderstorms and produced a large area of strong and occasionally damaging gradient winds. The strong winds first made it into southeast Nebraska at 148 am cdt when the Falls City Asos measured wind speeds of 72 mph. These strong winds blew a mobile home over and destroyed a barn and lawn care equipment north of Falls City. In addition, there was widespread roof and tree damage in and out of Falls City and an insurance agency estimated that claims for damage alone in Falls City came to around $100,000. In Johnson and Pawnee counties the winds were estimated at around 70 mph by Emergency Management, and both counties reported extensive tree damage. Considerable damage was reported around Cook to barns, sheds and other outbuildings in addition to several windows blown out. Several outbuildings were unroofed or sustained heavy damage 2 miles west of Tecumseh. Both of those towns are in Johnson county. Trees were severely damaged or uprooted in Otoe county from around Lorton to Nebraska City at around 215 am cdt with winds estimated at between 60 and 70 mph. The winds were also responsible for a five-vehicle pileup, because of blinding dust, which killed a 54-year-old man. Three cars had stopped along highway 2 outside of Nebraska City because of zero visibility in blowing dust. The cars had thought they had stopped on the shoulder of the highway, but due to the time of the night and poor visibility they had actually stopped in the left lane. Two semi-tractor trailer trucks hit the cars, the first one caused minor damage, but the driver of the second truck was killed when he smashed into the first truck. The strong winds began weakening as they made it north into Cass and Sarpy counties, but not before downing a few trees and power lines in Plattsmouth in Cass county, and giving an estimated wind gust of around 60 mph at Offutt Airforce Base around 315 am cdt.

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 17, 2:00 PM CST, 10 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 17, 2:00 PM CST, 10 hours 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
300 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

18Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWED LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OVER WY WHILE
STALLED BOUNDRY ACROSS NRN KS AND NRN MO WAS STARTING TO LIFT NORTH.
SHARP LOW LEVEL MOISTURE GRADIENT IN PLACE OVER EASTERN KANSAS.

COMBINATION OF INCREASING SOUTH FLOW AND ADVECTION OF THE LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE INTO THE CWA TONIGHT SHOULD PREVENT TEMPS FROM
FALLING OFF MUCH OVERNIGHT SO HAVE BOOSTED MINS TO THE 60S AS A
RESULT.  WILL CONTINUE WITH MENTION OF SLGT CHC THUNDER TONIGHT
AS WESTERN SYSTEM GETS ORGANIZED AND WARM FRONT LIFTS ACROSS THE
CWA. MODELS SIMILAR IN TAKING SFC LOW ACROSS SD TONIGHT AND
INTO SWRN MN ON THURSDAY WITH FRONT MOVING THROUGH SERN PARTS OF
THE CWA DURING MAX HEATING.  ETA INDICATES BEST INSTABILITY BY
THAT TIME EAST OF THE AREA BUT WILL NONETHELESS STAY WITH SOME LOW
POPS AS FRONT MOVES THROUGH AND COLD ADVECTION KICKS IN OVER THE
AREA.  SOME MODEL DIFFERENCES IN EXTENDED PERIOD AS EXTENDED ETA
SHOWING H85 BOUNDRY LITTLE FURTHER NORTH THAN AVN IN 72-84HRS SO
WILL MENTION LOW POPS SAT AFTN/SAT NIGHT.  BASED ON NEW AVN WILL
ALSO TAKE OUT POPS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY AND LEAVE CHANCE IN FOR
TUE/WED.

TEMPERATURES WILL AGAIN PRESENT A CHALLENGE AS FRONT MOVES THROUGH
ON THURSDAY WITH STRONG CONTRAST EITHER SIDE OF FRONT. WILL LEAN
TOWARD WARMER ETA AT THIS TIME WITH SERN AREAS REACHING UPPER 80S.
MUCH COOLER THURSDAY NIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND AS HIGH BUILDS DOWN WITH
SEASONAL READINGS REMAINDER OF EXTENDED PERIOD.

FOBERT
...

330 AM CDT WED APR 17 2002

FORECAST CHALLENGES...RETURN OF SFC FNT AND DVLPMENT OF TSRA THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SYNOPSIS...AFTER AN ACTIVE SVR WX NIGHT FOR THE FCST
AREA...NEGATIVELY TILTED TROF SWEEPS NORTHEAST...SHIFTING THE TSRA
TO MN-IA-ERN KS.  SFC FNT PUSHING THRU SW IA NOW AND DEWPOINTS HAVE
FALLEN TO THE 30S/40S BEHIND THE FNT AND THE WNDS HAVE DIMINISHED
SIGNIFICANTLY.

FORECAST...ERLY THIS AM MINOR SHORTWAVE FCST BY ETA TO PRODUCE
PRECIP...HOWEVER SHORT TERM AVN/RUC DRY.  STLT INDICATING STG DRYING
AND SUBSIDENCE AND WILL KEEP VERY SHORT TERM FCST DRY.

MAIN UPR LOW OVR WA CONSISTENTLY FCST BY BOTH THE ETA/AVN TO WEAKEN
AND SPLIT INTO TWO LOWS NR OR AND MT BY 06Z TONIGHT.  SHORT TERM
FCST INVOLVES SFC FNT KS/MO THAT PUSHES N INTO SE NEB/SRN IA LATE
TAF.  MODELS DIFFER ON THE LOCATION OF THE SFC LO AT 00Z WITH THE
ETA/AVN SIMILAR OVR ERN WY AND THE NGM FARTHER N OVR ERN MT.  NGM
CONTINUES NWD BIAS AT 12Z AS ETA/AVN HAS THE SFC LO OVR ERN SD AND
SFC FNT INTO ERN NEB.  MID DAY THU THE FNT EXITS THE FCST AREA AND
SFC HI PRES BUILDS IN FM MT.  HI PRES RMNS OVR THE FCST AREA WELL
INTO THE EXTENDED.  DAYS 1 AND 2...MODEL TRENDS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN
SHORT WAVE TROF AND ETA SEEMS TO HANDLE THIS BEST.

DAY1 SPC OUTLOOK HAS ERN NEB AND WRN IA IN SLGHT RISK FOR DAY 1
VALID THRU 12Z 4/18. WAA/INSTABILITY/FAVORABLE SHEAR PROFILES
DEVELOP LATE THIS AFT AND INCREASES THIS EVE.  CAPE VALUES INCREASE
TO 1-2K J/KG ACRS SE NEB TAF AND 2-3K J/KG THIS EVE.  HAVE INCLUDED
CHC FOR TSRA LATE TAF SE AND ALL OF THE FCST AREA TON AND LEFT THU
DRY.  TEMPERATURES TAF MID 70S N TO LOWER 80S S.  S/SE WINDS TO
INCREASE LATE THIS AFT AND EVE INTO THE BREEZY CATEGORY.  DURING THE
DAY THE SFC BOUNDARY PUSHES ACRS THE FCST AREA.  FOR NOW HAVE MAINLY
GONE DRY FOR THE REST OF THU/FRI AS THE SFC BOUNDARY/MID LEVEL WAA
AFFECTS LOCATIONS FARTHER S.

EXTENDED...SAT-TUES. SFC HI PRES AND NE FLO IS FCST FOR THE AREA SAT
AND SUN.  THERE ARE SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES WITH THE NEW MRF.  THE
OLD MRF HAD 30/40 POPS FOR SEVERAL DAYS.  THE NEW MRF STILL HAS
30/40 POPS...HOWEVER...HAS THE GREATEST CHC PRECP SUN AND WED.

ZAPOTOCNY

IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS ON THE NEW FORECAST DISCUSSION FORMAT...PLEASE
E-MAIL THEM TO W-OAX.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV OR CALL DAVE THEOPHILUS AT
402 359-5166.

.OMA...NONE.

FOBERT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 17, 8:08 PM CST, 4 hours 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
908 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

0848 PM    3 S WOODBINE              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Apr 17, 8:40 PM CST, 4 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
940 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

0820 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   1.25 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0832 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   1.50 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0839 PM    3 N LOGAN                 IA   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 17, 9:10 PM CST, 3 hours 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1010 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

0946 PM    IRWIN                     IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 17, 9:28 PM CST, 3 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1028 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

0820 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   2 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0832 PM    WOODBINE                  IA   1.5 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0839 PM    3 N LOGAN                 IA   TORNADO
04/17/02   HARRISON                       ALSO 3/4 INCH HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0903 PM    2 E WOODBINE              IA   TORNADO
04/17/02   HARRISON                       FUNNEL CLOUD. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 17, 9:46 PM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1046 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

0944 PM    10 W OMAHA MILLARD ARPT   NE   .88 INCH HAIL
04/16/02   DOUGLAS                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
                                          INTERSECTION OF HWY 92
                                          AND 275.

0945 PM    5 WNW OMAHA MILLARD ARPT  NE   .75 INCH HAIL
04/16/02   DOUGLAS                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
                                          INTERSECTION OF HWY 31
                                          AND 275.

0945 PM    4 SE ELKHORN              NE   .75 INCH HAIL
04/16/02   DOUGLAS                        REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR. INTERSECTION
                                          168TH/CENTER.

0945 PM    2 NW BOYS TOWN            NE   .88 INCH HAIL
04/16/02   DOUGLAS                        INTERSECTION
                                          149TH/BLONDO.  REPORTED
                                          BY PUBLIC.

1014 PM    1 S WOODBINE              IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/16/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1031 PM    SHELBY                    IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/16/02   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1043 PM    HARLAN MUNI ARPT          IA   63 MPH TSTM GUST
04/16/02   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY  NWS DES
                                          MOINES FROM AWOS.

0700 PM    FREMONT                   NE   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DODGE                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0745 PM    HERMAN                    NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
                                          OBSERVER.

0800 PM    6 SW PISGAH               IA   .88 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0807 PM    8 SE TEKAMAH              NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   BURT                           REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0810 PM    2 S MONDAMIN              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0820 PM    2 E MONDAMIN              IA   1.25 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0820 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   2 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0832 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   1.5 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0832 PM    WOODBINE                  IA   1.5 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0839 PM    2 N LOGAN                 IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON

0839 PM    3 N LOGAN                 IA   TORNADO
04/17/02   HARRISON                       ALSO 3/4 INCH HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0848 PM    3 S WOODBINE              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0848 PM    3 S WOODBINE              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0903 PM    2 E WOODBINE              IA   TORNADO
04/17/02   HARRISON                       FUNNEL CLOUD. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

0946 PM    IRWIN                     IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 17, 10:02 PM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1102 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

0700 PM    FREMONT                   NE   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DODGE                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0745 PM    HERMAN                    NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
                                          OBSERVER.

0800 PM    6 SW PISGAH               IA   .88 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0807 PM    8 SE TEKAMAH              NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   BURT                           REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0810 PM    2 S MONDAMIN              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0820 PM    2 E MONDAMIN              IA   1.25 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0820 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   2 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0832 PM    MONDAMIN                  IA   1.5 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0832 PM    WOODBINE                  IA   1.5 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0839 PM    2 N LOGAN                 IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON

0839 PM    3 N LOGAN                 IA   TORNADO
04/17/02   HARRISON                       ALSO 3/4 INCH HAIL.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0848 PM    3 S WOODBINE              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0848 PM    3 S WOODBINE              IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0903 PM    2 E WOODBINE              IA   TORNADO
04/17/02   HARRISON                       FUNNEL CLOUD. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

0946 PM    IRWIN                     IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   SHELBY                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Nemaha

When: April 18, 12:59 AM CST
Where: Nemaha forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.388, -95.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Pawnee

When: April 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Pawnee forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.132, -96.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Johnson

When: April 18, 1:02 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 40.393, -96.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Otoe

When: April 18, 1:15 AM CST
Where: Otoe forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.649, -96.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cass

When: April 18, 2:15 AM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 40.910, -96.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sarpy

When: April 18, 2:15 AM CST
Where: Sarpy forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 41.113, -96.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, Otoe	2002-04-18	54	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, April 2002

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: 5292027, 5292029, 5292028, 5292030, 5292031, 5292032.