Flash Flood and Hail in Nebraska, July 21, 2002

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in Nebraska, July 21, 2002
Start: 2002-07-21T17:50
End: 2002-07-21T21:00
Location: Nebraska

July 21, 2002 · NWS GLD · 5 events in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 GLD wrote it up.

Several slow-moving, strong thunderstorms moved from northern Kansas into extreme southern Nebraska during the evening, affecting eastern Hitchcock and Red Willow counties in Nebraska. Locally heavy rainfall of 3 to 4 inches produced rapid runoff, closing highway 6/34 for several hours. Small hail and strong, damaging winds also accompanied the storms. Two people suffered minor injuries when a tarp blew down at a local rodeo, still in progress during the storm. A ferris wheel was also damaged at a local carnival. At least six utility poles were blown down, and a roof was removed from a hangar at the McCook airport. A roof was blown off a house in the city of McCook. Numerous trees and tree limbs were reported down throughout the city.

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 21, 12:45 PM MST, 5 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 12:45 PM MST, 5 hours 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
145 PM MDT SUN JUL 21 2002

PREFRONTAL TROUGH HAS MADE IT ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA...NOTED BY THE
CU/TCU GOING UP FROM KMCK SOUTHWEST TO KGCK. THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP RATHER QUICKLY AS UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES THE AREA.

TON...COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH MOVE ACROSS THE
AREA PRODUCING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ETA HAS A GOOD HANDLE ON
QPF COMPARED TO THE RADAR MOSAIC SO WILL TREND THAT WAY. MET GUIDANCE
GIVING HIGH POPS WITH FSL RUCII SHOWING A SOLID LINE OF PRECIP. WILL
BUMP UP THE POPS A BIT AND GO LIKELY OVER THE CENTRAL/EASTERN CWA.
FSL RUC II SHOWING LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE FRONT TONIGHT WITH SOME
WRAPAROUND PRECIP OVER THE WESTERN CWA. ETA DOESNT SHOW THIS. WILL
KEEP A CHANCE FOR THAT AREA. MIN TEMPS WILL BE COOLEST FROM NORTHWEST
TO SOUTHEAST AS AIRMASS MODIFIES BEHIND THE FRONT. WILL GO WITH 55
TO 60 OVER YUMA COUNTY WITH 60 TO 65 OVER ALL BUT FAR EAST/SOUTH
WHERE 70 TO 75 LOOKS GOOD. WINDS NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH.

MON/MON NGT...WILL KEEP SOME SMALL POPS OVER THE FAR
SOUTHERN/SOUTHEAST CWA FOR SOME TSRA AS THE FRONT SLOWLY MOVES OUT OF
THE AREA. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING SOME COOLER AIR INTO
THE AREA. HIGH TEMPS WILL BE NOTICEABLY COOLER WITH READINGS IN THE
MID 80S WEST TO NEAR 90 EAST. AS SURFACE HIGH SLOWLY MOVES EAST WINDS
WILL GRADUALLY TURN TO THE SOUTHEAST AS SURFACE TROUGH DEVELOPS ALONG
THE FRONT RANGE. LOW TEMPS WILL REMAIN COOLER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS...
ESPECIALLY OVER THE EAST. WILL GO WITH READINGS IN THE 55 TO 60
RANGE.

TUE-TUE NGT...SOUTH WINDS INCREASE ON BACKSIDE OF THE SURFACE HIGH
WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED. THESE WINDS WILL INCREASE THE
MOISTURE ALONG AND WEST OF THE CO/KS BORDER BUT WITH CIN VALUES
GREATER THAN 50 J/KG IT WILL REMAIN DRY. SOUTH WINDS CONTINUE TUE
NIGHT WITH NO PRECIP EXPECTED. MINS WILL BE A BIT WARMER AS AIRMASS
WARMS. LOOK FOR HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S/LOWER 90S. WILL GO WITH MINS
IN THE MID 50S/LOWER 60S AS THE ETA APPEARS TO BE A BIT OVERZEALOUS
ON WARMING.

WED...AS SURFACE TROUGH MOVES OUT TOWARD THE CENTRAL PLAINS SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP. ETA SUGGESTS 850 TEMPS WILL WARM 8-12F
WHILE THE AVN GIVES 7 TO 11. GIVEN THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO
WILL WARM THINGS UP BACK TOWARD THE CENTURY MARK.

THU-SUN...THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN FEATURES AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH
PRESSURE AREA OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH SOME POSITION
DIFFERENCES TOWARD THE LATTER END OF THE PERIOD. AT THE SURFACE...A
TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE CO/KS BORDER ON THURSDAY DEVELOPS
INTO A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WITH NORTH WINDS OVER THE NORTHWEST PORTION
OF THE AREA. THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA ON SATURDAY WITH A
SURFACE TROUGH AND SOUTHERLY WINDS RETURNING FOR SUNDAY. LOOKS TO BE
DRY FOR THE DAY THURSDAY. ON FRIDAY...DESPITE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY
AND PLENTIFUL MOISTURE 700MB TEMPS FORECAST TO BE IN EXCESS OF 15C...
NOT GOOD FOR PRECIP. WILL WORD IT DRY. LOOKS LIKE A STRONG VORT MAX
MOVES ACROSS FRIDAY NIGHT WITH CURRENT AND PREVIOUS GUIDANCE
AND 12Z AVN SHOWING PRECIP ACROSS THE AREA. WILL GO AHEAD AND KEEP IT
MENTIONED. FOR SATURDAY...SIMILAR SCENARIO TO FRIDAY. 700 TEMPS 14-
15C SO NO PRECIP EXPECTED. A PIECE OF ENERGY AND POCKET OF 500-300
MOISTURE MOVES ACROSS SATURDAY NIGHT AND DESPITE QPF GRIDS WILL GO
AHEAD AND MENTION SOME PRECIP. ON SUNDAY MONSOONAL MOISTURE REMAINS
TO THE WEST OF THE AREA. WITH 700 TEMPS IN THE 15-16C RANGE WILL GO
DRY. GUIDANCE REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH LOWS IT THE 60S AND HIGHS IN
THE LOW/MID 90S THROUGH THE PERIOD. THESE MAY BE A BIT LOW GIVEN THE
VERY WARM 700 TEMPS. WILL BUMP UP THUR AND FRI READINGS TO AROUND
100 BUT VERY WELL COULD SEE 100-105.

.GLD...NONE.

DDT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:17 PM MST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
617 PM MDT SUN JUL 21 2002

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

0603 PM    11 NW OBERLIN             KS   1 INCH HAIL
07/21/02   DECATUR                        REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0603 PM    11 NW OBERLIN             KS   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/02   DECATUR                        REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
                                          LARGE TREE BLOWN OVER.

Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:34 PM MST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
634 PM MDT SUN JUL 21 2002

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

0445 PM    8 SE TASCO                KS   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/02   SHERIDAN                       QUANSIT  MOVED OFF
                                          FOUNDATION. REPORTED BY
                                          PUBLIC.

0610 PM    OBERLIN                   KS   58 MPH TSTM GUST
07/21/02   DECATUR                        REPORTED BY MEDIA.

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:50 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Red Willow

When: July 21, 5:50 PM MST
Where: Red Willow County, 12 mi S of Mc Cook
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.033, -100.617

Thunderstorm Wind, Red Willow

When: July 21, 6:50 PM MST
Where: Red Willow County, Mc Cook
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.200, -100.617

Refer to event narrative for July 21st.

Thunderstorm Wind, Red Willow

When: July 21, 6:52 PM MST
Where: Red Willow County, 2 mi N of Mc Cook
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.233, -100.617

Hail, Red Willow

When: July 21, 6:54 PM MST
Where: Red Willow County, 2 mi N of Mc Cook
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.233, -100.617

Flash Flood, Red Willow

When: July 21, 7:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Red Willow County, 3 mi E of Mc Cook
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.176, -100.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three to four feet of water across portions of highway 6/34 between McCook and Bartley due to rapid runoff from thunderstorm rains. Law enforcement closed the highway in several locations while cleanup crews removed mud and debris after the water subsided.

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.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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, July 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: 5304315, 5304316, 5304317, 5304318, 5304319.