Damaging Winds in Nebraska, August 17, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Nebraska, August 17, 2002
Start: 2002-08-17T02:30
End: 2002-08-17T02:30
Location: Nebraska

August 17, 2002 · NWS OAX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph downed numerous trees and utility poles in the Crete, De Witt and Dorchester areas. The damage was reported by Saline county emergency management.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph downed numerous trees and utility poles in the Crete, De Witt and Dorchester areas. The damage was reported by Saline county emergency management.

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 Aug 17, 2:30 AM CST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 2:30 AM CST, 0 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
330 AM CDT SAT AUG 17 2002

SYNOPSIS...LINE OF STORMS PUSHING RAPIDLY SE THIS MORNING IN ADVANCE
OF COLD FRONT. RADAR INDICATED SRN PORTION OF THE LINE HAVING MORE OF
AN EASTERLY MOVEMENT SO WILL HANG ON TO SCT TSTMS FOR SERN BORDER AREA
FIRST PART OF THE MORNING. EXPECT FRONT TO MOVE THROUGH SERN COUNTIES
BY MID MRNG.

MODELS INDICATE FRONT TO HANG UP LATER TODAY ACROSS KANSAS THEN
REMAIN NEAR SERN BORDER AREA INTO MONDAY. H85 MOIST AXIS ALSO
IN PLACE NEARBY SO WILL CONTINUE SOME POPS FOR SERN ZONES SUNDAY
INTO MONDAY...TRENDING MORE TOWARD AVN.  REMAINDER OF FORECAST
LITTLE CHANGED.

.OMA...NONE.

FOBERT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 16, 8:44 PM CST, 5 hours 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
944 PM CDT FRI AUG 16 2002

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

0810 PM    2 1/2 NW ST HELENA        NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0825 PM    3 NW ST HELENA            NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 16, 8:50 PM CST, 5 hours 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
950 PM CDT FRI AUG 16 2002

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

1130 AM    5 NE WYNOT                NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 16, 8:54 PM CST, 5 hours 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
954 PM CDT FRI AUG 16 2002

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

0913 AM    MONROE                    NE   4.5 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   PLATTE                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0930 AM    1 W MONROE                NE   2.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   PLATTE                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0930 AM    PLATTE CENTER             NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   PLATTE                         REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0930 AM    4 E MANLEY                NE   .88 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CASS                           REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

1040 AM    PIERCE                    NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   PIERCE                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

1042 AM    5 S DAVID CITY            NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   BUTLER                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1105 AM    CROFTON                   NE   1.25 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   KNOX                           HAIL COVERING THE
                                          GROUND, REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

1120 AM    CROFTON                   NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   KNOX                           REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT. EVENT
                                          DURATION 7 MINUTES.

1125 AM    HARTINGTON                NE   .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

1130 AM    FREMONT                   NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   DODGE                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

1130 AM    FREMONT                   NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   DODGE                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

1130 AM    5 NE WYNOT                NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

1132 AM    FREMONT                   NE   .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   DODGE                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

1134 AM    FREMONT                   NE   1.25 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   DODGE                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

1152 AM    2 N GLENWOOD              IA   .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   MILLS                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

1155 AM    FORDYCE                   NE   .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

1201 PM    PENDER                    NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   THURSTON                       HEAVY RAIN WITH 1.20
                                          INCHES IN LESS THAN AN
                                          HOUR REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

1225 PM    1 N MISSOURI VLY          IA   .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   HARRISON                       REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

1225 PM    1 N PENDER                NE   .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   THURSTON                       REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

1255 PM    WINNEBAGO                 NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   THURSTON                       REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0122 PM    WYNOT                     NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY FIRE AND
                                          RESCUE.

0649 PM    NIOBRARA                  NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   KNOX                           REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0705 PM    NIOBRARA                  NE   2 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   KNOX                           REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
                                          OBSERVER.

0806 PM    7 N CROFTON               NE   .88 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   KNOX                           REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER. GAVINS POINT DAM

0810 PM    3 NW ST HELENA            NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0825 PM    3 NW ST HELENA            NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/16/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Saline

When: August 17, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Saline County, Crete
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.633, -96.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Saline

When: August 17, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Saline County, De Witt
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.400, -96.917

Thunderstorm Wind, Saline

When: August 17, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Saline County, Dorchester
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.650, -97.117

What these are

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

Every storm in Nebraska in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, August 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: 5314996, 5314997, 5314998.