Thunderstorms developed on the edge of an instability axis over northeast Nebraska during the mid afternoon hours of July 15th. Surface temperatures in the 90s and dewpoint temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees were common in the more unstable air just south of where the convection developed, compared to slightly hotter but drier air just to the north.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS OAX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed on the edge of an instability axis over northeast Nebraska during the mid afternoon hours of July 15th. Surface temperatures in the 90s and dewpoint temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees were common in the more unstable air just south of where the convection developed, compared to slightly hotter but drier air just to the north. The thunderstorms produced strong winds...areas of very heavy rain and isolated large hail as they congealed into a bow and moved southeast across the Omaha and Lincoln areas before weakening in strength over far southeast Nebraska. Additional thunderstorms developed then...mostly west of Lincoln. Although they mostly remained below severe limits, they produced additional areas of heavy rain which caused flooding in Seward and Saline counties. Lightning was frequent with the storms, especially when they crossed the Omaha metro area.
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 Jul 15, 3:07 PM CST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 407 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 2008 .DISCUSSION... MID LVL MOISTURE MOVING ESE THROUGH NORTHEAST NEB IS BEGINNING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH SFC BASED AIR AND TSTMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP. IMMEDIATE AREA HAS ONLY TCU SO FAR...BUT COULD DVLP TOWARD EVE...OR TSTMS COULD MOVE IN FROM WNW. EXPECT LITTLE OR NO ACTIVITY SOUTH OF I-80 CORRIDOR TONIGHT...WITH FRONT WELL TO THE N...AND BEST LLJ PROGGED TO DVLP CENTRAL NEB ONLY OF MDT INTENSITY. RICH SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE ITS WAY NORTH FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. HOWEVER...EXPECT WED THROUGH EARLY THUR AFTN TO BE DRY WITH POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF NEAR SD BORDER...AS WARM DRY CAP ALOFT STRENGTHENS. THIS SHOULD BRING A HOT DAY WED WITH AFTN CU HOLDING BACK TEMPS A COUPLE DEG. BEST CHC FOR STRONG TSTMS WILL BE THU EVE THROUGH FRIDAY. MODELS ARE COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT THAT A SHORT WAVE IN THE WESTERLIES WILL DRIVE A WEAK FRONT THROUGH THE AREA. AIRMASS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE QUITE MOIST...AND INSTABILITY SHOULD BE STRONG BY LATE THU AFTN ONCE THE CAP BREAKS. EXPECT TSTMS TO DRIVE SE THU NIGHT WITH MORE DEVELOPMENT FRI LASTING INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...MORE LIKELY IN THE SE BY SAT MORN. HEAVY RAIN ALSO POSSIBLE WITH BEST CHC THU NIGHT WITH GOOD LLJ INTO AREA. EXPECT SOME SORT OF A BREAK IN CONVECTION DURING THE WEEKEND AS UPPER RIDGING PROVIDES SOME SUPPRESSION...BUT TOUGH TO BE SURE AS BOUNDARIES REMAIN IN THE AREA. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE RECENTLY...OP MODELS ARE IN POOR AGREEMENT BY DAYS 6 AND 7. GFS CONTINUES TO DIG A STRONG UPPER TROUGH OR CLOSED LOW INTO THE N CENTRAL STATES...WHILE ECMWF BUILDS A RIDGE AND MOVES IT EAST. BEST GUESS AT THIS POINT IS THAT WE WILL BE IN WEAKER NW FLOW WITH RIDGE RUNNERS PROVIDING SOME CHC OF EVE AND OVERNIGHT TSTMS. TEMPS WILL GENERALLY BE WARM TO HOT. FRIDAY COULD END UP THE COOLEST AS CONVECTION CONTINUES DURING THE DAY...BUT TEMPS ANY DAY WILL DEPEND ON POSITION OF BOUNDARIES. GFS ENSEMBLES GIVE A PRELIMINARY SIGNAL THAT STRONG UPPER RIDGE SETS UP OVER THE AREA ARND JULY 25 AND STICKS AROUND...SO THIS MAY BE A PRELUDE TO A STRONG SUMMER HEAT WAVE. && .AVIATION... FOR TAF SITES KOMA/KLNK/KOFK THRU 16/18Z VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KOMA AND KLNK THROUGH THE PERIOD. KOFK MAY SEE SOME TRW AFTER 00Z AS WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY MOVES INTO THE AREA BUT NO MENTION AT THIS TIME DUE UNCERTAINTY IN TIMING. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && POLLACK/FOBERT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 1125 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2008 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-160630- MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE-KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON- STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER- SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE- JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON- 1125 AM CDT TUE JUL 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING MAINLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TODAY...ADDING TO INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA. A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INTO SOUTHERN SOUTH DAKOTA AND IS EXPECTED TO SINK SLOWLY SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON TO NEAR THE NEBRASKA BORDER. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS BOUNDARY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING... THEN MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY EVENING IN NORTHERN NEBRASKA AND NORTHERN IOWA AS A SLOW-MOVING FRONT DROPS SOUTHWARD OUT OF THE DAKOTAS AND MINNESOTA. STORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD AGAIN THROUGH THE NIGHT...AFFECTING MAINLY AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE SLOW-MOVING FRONT MOVES THROUGH EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING...MAINLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. FOBERT
The Omaha radar (KOAX), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:23 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 flood, 2 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated around 60 mph knocked a large tree down near Herman.
A thunderstorm gust was measured at 62 mph at the Albion Awos. Similar gusts were estimated by Law Enforcement around that same time. The strong winds caused scattered power outages in the area and was accompanied by hail up to quarter-size.
Hail close to baseball-size fell 7 miles north of North Bend. The large hail caused a several mile wide swath of crop damage in the area.
Rainfall of 2.22 inches was measured at the NWS office in Valley between 7 and 10pm CDT.
Nickel to quarter-size hail was reported along with strong winds and very heavy rain in the Albion area. Winds were measured at 62 mph at the Albion Awos a few minutes earlier.
Hail up to golfball-size fell for about 15 minutes in and north through east of the Valley area. The hail broke some windows out of a house east of town and caused scattered other house and vehicle damage in the area.
A thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was measured at the NWS office. The strong winds caused some tree damage in Valley and knocked the power out across much of the town for a few hours.
Hail up to quarter-size was reported in northwest Omaha near 157th street.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at close to 60 mph pushed over a large tree near 168th and Pacific and snapped a few trees off in the Harvey Oaks area causing deck and fence damage.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at close to 60 mph blew a shed onto the road near 264th and Rainwood.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 60 mph downed large branches near 37th and D Streets.
A spotter estimated thunderstorm wind gusts as high as around 60 mph in the Adams area.
Thunderstorm gusts were measured at 68 mph by Awos at Offutt Afb. The strong winds caused scattered power outages in the Bellevue area.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph downed a few trees and numerous tree limbs in the Plattsmouth area. The fallen trees caused scattered power outages.
Several county roads were closed briefly in western Douglas county near the Valley area due to flash flooding. Also cars reportedly stalled out as they encountered deep water near 208th and Maple in west Elkhorn. Three to 5 inches of rain was reported in the area. Reported damage was minimal.
Hail up to nickel-size lasted for a few minutes.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph knocked over 2 trees that fell on vehicles in town along with downing numerous branches.
Doppler radar estimated that around 3 inches of rain fell in a several hour or less period near Morse Bluff and this was backed by a public report of 3 inches in one hour. The heavy rain produced flooding which briefly closed a road near Highway 79 in town. Apparent damage was minimal.
Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches fell across much of the Turkey Creek basin on July 15-16. This caused Turkey Creek to flood from near Wilber toward its confluence with the Blue River. The stage at Wilber reached a little over 14 feet around 5pm CDT on July 16, flood stage is 11 feet. The creek briefly dropped below flood stage during the evening of July 17th, but additional heavy rain producing thunderstorms caused a second crest of around 12.5 feet during the afternoon of July 18th before the creek fell below flood stage early on the 19th. The flooding affected mainly agricultural lowlands but also flooded a few county roads.
Rainfall of 3.5 inches fell overnight on July 15-16 in the Milford area. This caused flooding along Coon Creek which flooded a park and golf course on the south side of town and also closed a few county roads in the area.
Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches fell across sections of the Blue River basin on July 15-16. This caused the Blue River to flood from near Crete to the confluence with Turkey Creek, which was also in flood. The stage of the Big Blue at Crete reached around 23 feet at 2am CDT on July 17, flood stage is 18 feet. Although the river dropped to around flood stage during the morning hours of July 18th, additional heavy rain that fell over part of the basin on the 17th brought a second crest to the river of around 22 feet during the afternoon of July 19th. The flooding affected mainly agricultural lowlands but also flooded a few county roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2008
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: 102679, 102657, 102659, 102663, 102654, 103134, 102665, 102662, 103133, 102664, 102668, 102667, 102673, 121751, 102660, 102670, 102672, 102675, 103136, 103135, 103137.