Flash Flood in Nebraska, May 24, 2004

Name: Flash Flood in Nebraska, May 24, 2004
Start: 2004-05-24T16:07
End: 2004-05-24T18:00
Location: Nebraska

May 24, 2004 · NWS OAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 1:00 PM CST, 3 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 24, 1:00 PM CST, 3 hours 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
200 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

.DISCUSSION...
ELEVATED CONVECTION WHICH DEVELOPED LATE THIS MORNING IN THE
NORTHEAST HAS PRETTY MUCH MOVED EAST OF THE AREA AND NOW WAITING
FOR MORE SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.

18Z ANALYSIS SHOWED LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WITH WARM
FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE LOW INTO SERN NEBRASKA NEAR LNK INTO SWRN
IA WITH SURFACE TROF FROM CENTRAL INTO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. SURFACE
MOISTURE AXIS EXTENDS INTO SERN NEB WHERE DEWPOINTS HAVE CLIMBED
INTO THE 70S AT BIE AND FNB. NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA REMAINS UNDER
EXTENSIVE BLANKET OF LOW CLOUDS.

ENTIRE CWA CURRENTLY UNDER SPC WATCHES WITH ERN HALF ALSO UNDER FFA
THROUGH TONIGHT. MAY NEED TO ADJUST TIMING OF STORM EVENT A BIT WITH
SHORT RANGE MODELS INDICATING MOST OF THE ACTIVITY EAST OF THE AREA
BY MID EVENING AS FRONT PUSHES INTO NRN KS AND NRN MO WITH FOCUS
SHIFTING TO THAT AREA. WILL SEE HOW THINGS DEVELOP PRIOR TO ISSUANCE
BEFORE DECIDING ON ANY ADJUSTMENT TO FLOOD WATCH.

OTHERWISE...LITTLE CHANGE TO REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST.

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 4 AM TUE ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM
GAGE TO THURSTON COUNTY.
IA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 4 AM TUE ALL COUNTIES.

&&

NOTE...EFFECTIVE 1200 UTC JUNE 8TH THE AWIPS PRODUCT IDENTIFIER
/PID/ FOR THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION ISSUED BY OMAHA WFO WILL
CHANGE TO OMAAFDOAX.  THE WMO CODE WILL REMAIN FXUS63 KOAX.

FOBERT

Hazardous weather outlook, May 24, 4:00 PM CST, 7 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
500 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

IAZ055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ045-051>053-065>068-078-088>093-
250300-
CASS-DOUGLAS-FREMONT IA-GAGE-HARRISON IA-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LANCASTER-
MILLS IA-MONTGOMERY IA-NEMAHA-OTOE-PAGE IA-PAWNEE-POTTAWATTAMIE IA-
RICHARDSON-SALINE-SARPY-SAUNDERS-SEWARD-SHELBY IA-WASHINGTON-
500 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHWESTERN IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY

SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...
ENDING IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF NEBRASKA BY 9 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY
HAZARDS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...FLOODING AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS LATER IN THE WEEK...
ESPECIALLY FRIDAY AND ALSO SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FUTURE OUTLOOKS
WILL ADDRESS THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACTIVATED ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA.

IAZ043-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-042>044-050-250300-
ANTELOPE-BOONE-BURT-BUTLER-CEDAR-COLFAX-CUMING-DODGE-KNOX-MADISON-
MONONA IA-PIERCE-PLATTE-STANTON-THURSTON-WAYNE-
500 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND
WEST CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS LATER IN THE WEEK...
ESPECIALLY FRIDAY AND ALSO SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FUTURE OUTLOOKS
WILL ADDRESS THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NO LONGER EXPECTED IN THIS AREA.

FOBERT

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 24, 3:30 PM CST, 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
430 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0418 PM     HAIL             DOUGLAS                 40.59N 96.39W
05/24/2004  0.75 INCH        OTOE               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0415 PM     HAIL             OMAHA                   41.26N 96.01W
05/24/2004  0.75 INCH        DOUGLAS            NE   AMATEUR RADIO

            COVERING GROUND AT LAKE CUNNINGHAM.

0415 PM     HAIL             1 SW GOEHNER            40.82N 97.23W
05/24/2004  1.75 INCH        SEWARD             NE   EMERGENCY MNGR

0355 PM     HAIL             OMAHA                   41.26N 96.01W
05/24/2004  1.00 INCH        DOUGLAS            NE   AMATEUR RADIO

            108TH AND FORT STREET

0425 PM     HAIL             OMAHA                   41.26N 96.01W
05/24/2004  1.25 INCH        DOUGLAS            NE   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

JB

Local storm report, May 24, 3:34 PM CST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
434 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0430 PM     TORNADO          2 N THURMAN             40.85N 95.75W
05/24/2004                   FREMONT            IA   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

JB

Local storm report, May 24, 3:36 PM CST, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
436 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0428 PM     HAIL             MILLARD                 41.21N 96.16W
05/24/2004  0.75 INCH        DOUGLAS            NE   PUBLIC

&&

JB

Local storm report, May 24, 3:38 PM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
438 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0430 PM     HAIL             2 N THURMAN             40.85N 95.75W
05/24/2004  0.88 INCH        FREMONT            IA   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

JB

Local storm report, May 24, 3:41 PM CST, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
441 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0439 PM     TORNADO          3 NE THURMAN            40.85N 95.71W
05/24/2004                   FREMONT            IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

JB

Local storm report, May 24, 4:03 PM CST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
503 PM CDT MON MAY 24 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0454 PM     HAIL             PAPILLION               41.16N 96.04W
05/24/2004  1.25 INCH        SARPY              NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JB

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 18 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:08 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Douglas

When: May 24, 4:07 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas County, Omaha
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash flooding was reported across sections of central and eastern Omaha. The flooding was caused by heavy rain of 2 to 3 inches which fell across much of the central, eastern and southern sections of the city over a several hour period during the late afternoon hours on the 24th. In fact 2.28 inches was reported at Omaha Eppley which set a record rainfall for the date. The ground over much of the area was already nearly saturated from a 2 to 3 inch rain that fell two days earlier. Four foot deep flood waters stranded cars in the Saddle Creek and Farnam area, and a health center reported that flood waters flooded a wing of the unit.

What these are

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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, May 2004

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: 5395646.