Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Nebraska, June 23, 2009

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Nebraska, June 23, 2009
Start: 2009-06-23T17:46
End: 2009-06-23T23:30
Location: Nebraska

June 23, 2009 · NWS LBF · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

An isolated tornadic supercell developed early in the evening over western Nebraska which also produced flash flooding as it moved slowly southeast. Scattered storms developed by late evening in the eastern Panhandle that produced strong winds.

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: $80,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Events: 9

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 LBF wrote it up.

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 23, 1:49 PM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 23, 1:49 PM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
249 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009

.SYNOPSIS...

UPPER RIDGE BUILDING FROM SRN PLAINS NWWD INTO THE HIGH PLAINS.
AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THIS RIDGE A GOOD FETCH OF MOISTURE NWD FROM
THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...SOON TO BE REINFORCED BY A TAP FROM THE GULF.
FURTHER WEST...SERIES OF SHORT WAVE TROFS LOCATED FROM THE NRN
PACIFIC INTO THE PAC NW....WITH LOW WAVE TROF APPROACHING THE SRN
CALI COAST. THIS SETS THE NRN ROCKIES THROUGH THE NRN HIGH PLAINS IN
A REGION OF CONFLUENCE ALOFT. CLOSER TO HOME...M70S DEW POINTS HAVE
BEEN POOLING N OF A OLD OUTFLOW BNDRY/WARM FRONT. REMAINING
CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH EARLIER NRN PLAINS SHORT WAVE
WANING...THOUGH MID LEVEL CONVECTIVE AC LINGERS. TEMPS IN THE NRN
ZONES HAVE BEEN HELD DOWN DUE TO CLOUD COVER...BUT FURTHER S HIGH
MOISTURE IN THE LOW LEVELS INHIBITS FULL POTENTIAL AS WELL.

&&

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
RUC SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE NEAR TERM SITUATION
WHICH HAS BEEN MUDDIED BY EARLIER CONVECTION. NAM MOVED BNDRY NWD
A LITTLE TOO FAST...WHILE RUC EVENUALLY DEVELOPS CONVECTION ALONG
IT...WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT PROP WWD ALONG THE BNDRY. 18Z LBF
SOUNDING SHOWS A DECENT CAP LEFT TO ERRODE...BUT ONCE IT DOES
SHOULD BE RAPID DEVELOPMENT. RUC BUFKIT PROFILE WOULD SUGGEST
SPLITTING INITIAL CELLS BY LATE AFTERNOON WITH RIGHT MOVERS
DOMINATING. SLIGHT BACKING IN THE MID LEVELS EVIDENT IN 18Z LBF
SOUNDING WOULD CONFIRM THIS...AND ALTHOUGH RIGHT MOVERS WOULD
DOMINATE...LEFT MOVERS COULD REMAIN STRONG FOR A SHORT TIME. ALSO
OF CONCERN WOULD BE HIGH PW VALUES NEARING 2 STD DEV ABOVE THE
MEAN FOR JUNE. STORM MOTION SHOULD HELP THINGS MOVE ALONG BUT IF
TRAINING OCCURS THERE COULD BE PROBLEMS.

THOUGH DRY MID LEVELS EXIST SOMEWHAT...NOT SURE THAT THERE WOULD BE
A CONCENTRATED COLD POOL TO SHOVE THE BNDRY TOO FAR SWD AND MODELS
TENDS TO LEAVE IT IN THERE AREA AS IT GETS REINFORCED BY ANOTHER
FRONT MOVING INTO THE NRN PLAINS. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE VALUES REMAIN
ELEVATED INTO TOMORROW AS WELL WHICH YIELDS SB CAPE >3K J/KG. BUFKIT
PROFILES WOULD SUGGEST HIGH BASED CONVECTION S OF I-80
INITIALLY...THOUGH THIS WILL BE BASED ON BNDRY POSITION. ZONAL FLOW
ALOFT WILL MAKE TIMING ISSUES TOUGH TOO...THOUGH HAVE LEANED TWD
TYPICAL DIURNAL TRENDS.

AS UPPER HIGH BUILDS NWWD...SRLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL WASH OUT THE
FRONT ON THU. LEE TROF SHOULD BE MOST PRONOUNCED THOUGH IN THE NRN
HIGH PLAINS...SO NWRN CWA COULD GET RESIDUAL TSRA DEVELOPMENT BY
LATE AFTERNOON THERE...SO HAVE LEFT SLGHT POPS FOR THAT.

TEPMS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN BELOW GUIDANCE THE LAST FEW DAYS DUE IN
PART TO WET GROUND AND CONVECTIVE REMNANTS. WILL KEEP AOB GUIDANCE
AS WELL IN THE NEAR TERM FOR MAXES...AND NEAR GUIDANCE FOR MINS.

.LONG TERM (FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)...
LONGER TERM FCST WAS DESIGNED WITH THE ECMWF AS A BACKGROUND. HAVE
LIKED THE CONSISTENCY OF THE ECMWF WHICH SHOWS A HIGHER
AMPLIFICATION OF FEATURES TWD THE END OF THE PERIOD. THIS WILL MEAN
THE UPPER RIDGE OVER MIDDLE PART OF THE COUNTRY WILL PERIODICALLY
GET FLATTENED AND PUT THE LBF CWA IN OR NEAR THE MORE ACTIVE NRN
BRANCH OF THE WESTERLIES. END RESULT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ACTIVE
PERIOD FOR TSRA DEVELOPMENT INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH TEMPS AT OR
SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVE...AND GUIDANCE SEEMS TO HAVE THIS HANDLED OK.

&&

.AVIATION...
OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THE NEXT
24 HOURS FOR KLBF AND KVTN. HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN...HAIL..AND WIND GUSTS ESPECIALLY
FROM 22Z-02Z FOR KLBF...AND FROM 06Z-10Z FOR KVTN. HEAVY RAINS MAY
BRING VISIBILITIES DOWN TO AROUND 1 MILE AND WINDS MAY GUST TO 60
MPH IN THE THUNDERSTORMS.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM/EXTENDED...JWS
AVIATION...DDB

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 23, 3:13 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
413 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-242115-
SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-KEYA PAHA-BOYD-BROWN-ROCK-HOLT-GARDEN-
GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-BLAINE-LOUP-GARFIELD-WHEELER-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON-
LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER-
WESTERN CHERRY-
413 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009 /313 PM MDT TUE JUN 23 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL AID
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ALONG A WEAK FRONT EXTENDING FROM CUSTER COUNTY...TO NORTH
PLATTE...TO IMPERIAL EARLY AND THEN SHIFT SLOWLY NORTH INTO THE
CENTRAL SANDHILLS OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN WEATHER THREAT WILL BE
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. HOWEVER...NEAR THE FRONT
AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN ANCHORED ACROSS
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH MULTIPLE UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCES TO CROSS THE STATE FROM WEST TO EAST. ALSO THE
STALLED BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO MEANDER ACROSS THE REGION
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH A REINFORCING COLD FRONT TO STALL
ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS FOR THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL KEEP WESTERN
AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IN AN ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM PATTERN.
WHILE AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL STRETCH AT TIMES TO AROUND
90...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WITH EACH PASSING
DISTURBANCE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY
THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS. HOWEVER... ALONG ANY BOUNDARY...ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE
POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

&&

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...
HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE

DDB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 23, 5:46 PM CST, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
646 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009

NEZ004-005-008-009-022>027-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-240200-
SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-BROWN-ROCK-GARDEN-GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-
BLAINE-LOUP-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON-LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-
LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER-WESTERN CHERRY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GORDON...RUSHVILLE...VALENTINE...
AINSWORTH...BASSETT...OSHKOSH...HYANNIS...MULLEN...THEDFORD...
DUNNING...TAYLOR...ARTHUR...TRYON...STAPLETON...BROKEN BOW...
CHAPPELL...BIG SPRINGS...OGALLALA...GRANT...NORTH PLATTE...
IMPERIAL...HAYES CENTER...CURTIS...EUSTIS...CODY...MERRIMAN...
KILGORE
646 PM CDT TUE JUN 23 2009 /546 PM MDT TUE JUN 23 2009/

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT (MIDNIGHT MDT) FOR
A LARGE PART OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING IN WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH SOME
OF THE STORMS. THE GREATEST TORNADO THREAT IS SOUTH AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM AINSWORTH THROUGH MULLEN AND HYANNIS TO HAY SPRINGS. THE
COMMUNITIES ALONG THE HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE
PRIMARY THREAT AREA.

SPRINGER

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud, 2 tornado, 1 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, McPherson

When: June 23, 5:46 PM CST
Where: McPherson County, 3.4 mi WSW of Ringgold
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 41.500, -100.860

Tornado, Logan

When: June 23, 6:07 PM CST to 6:12 PM CST
Where: Logan County, 9 mi NNW of Stapleton to 6 mi NNW of Stapleton
Rating: EF0
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 41.600, -100.587

Trained spotters from the volunteer fire department saw the tornado as it moved across open rangeland.

Funnel Cloud, Logan

When: June 23, 7:03 PM CST
Where: Logan County, 5.74 mi SSE of Logan
Reported by: Storm Chaser
Coordinates: 41.420, -100.270

Tornado, Custer

When: June 23, 7:54 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 6 mi SSW of Arnold
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.350, -100.244

The brief tornado touched down over open land with no damage reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Deuel

When: June 23, 7:55 PM MST
Where: Deuel County, 6.22 mi S of Chappell
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.010, -102.470

The strong thunderstorm wind accompanied large hail.

Hail, Deuel

When: June 23, 7:56 PM MST
Where: Deuel County, 5.53 mi S of Chappell
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $35,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.020, -102.470

The large hail was accompanied by strong winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Deuel

When: June 23, 8:19 PM MST
Where: Deuel County, 9.19 mi NE of Chappell
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Crop damage: $15,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.190, -102.340

Thunderstorm Wind, Garden

When: June 23, 8:25 PM MST
Where: Garden County, 17 mi S of Lisco
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.254, -102.620

Strong thunderstorm winds broke off large tree limbs. The thunderstorm also produced torrential rain and flattened wheat crops.

Flash Flood, Custer

When: June 23, 9:30 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 3 mi SW of Arnold to 8 mi S of Arnold
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.399, -100.241

Emergency Management reported numerous roads washed out from heavy rain. Road lengths of up to 150 feet were washed out.

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Nebraska, 2009 Warnings in Nebraska, June 2009

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: 168436, 168437, 168438, 168431, 168433, 168432, 168434, 168435, 168439.