A lightning strike from a night time thunderstorm struck the KNGN radio tower in McCook, Nebraska, damaging the main and backup power sources and knocking the station off the air for several days.
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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 GLD wrote it up.
A lightning strike from a night time thunderstorm struck the KNGN radio tower in McCook, Nebraska, damaging the main and backup power sources and knocking the station off the air for several days.
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 May 23, 5:06 PM CST, 5 hours 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 506 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 .DISCUSSION... 259 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 EARLY AFTERNOON ANALYSIS OF IR IMAGERY/UPPER AIR DATA INDICATED MID/UPPER SHORTWAVE RIDGING OVER THE HIGH PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON WITH A BROAD MID/UPPER LOW CONTINUING TO TRANSLATE ONSHORE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS NOTED OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WHICH WAS HELPING TO TRIGGER THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION OVER THE WESTERN FRINGES OF THE GOODLAND FORECAST AREA. FORECAST FOCUS IS CENTERED ON INCREASING CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY AS WELL AS HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70 THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL INDUCE LEE CYCLOGENESIS ACROSS SOUTHEAST COLORADO OVERNIGHT. STRONG H85 NOCTURNAL JET WITH FAVORABLE TRAJECTORIES WILL AID IN TRANSPORTING GULF MOISTURE RAPIDLY NORTHWARD OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN ADVECTION OF UPPER 50S/LOW 60S DEWPOINTS INTO THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE DAY TUESDAY. AS THE DAY PROGRESS...H7-H5 LAPSE RATES WILL STEEPEN TO 7-8 C/KM RESULTING IN SBCAPE VALUES PUSHING 2000 J/KG. BUFR POINT SOUNDINGS WOULD INDICATE SUB 1KM LCL VALUES. PER THE NAM...NARROW AXIS OF 0-1KM HELICITY VALUES OF 150-200 M^2/S^2 WHICH WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF TORNADOES GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM MCCOOK TO QUINTER. ADDITIONALLY...HEAVY RAIN IS A DEFINITE CONCERN AS MIXING RATIOS OF 12-14 G/KG WILL CONTINUE TO BE ADVECTED INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHEAST. CURRENT FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE WOULD INDICATE ROUGHLY TWO INCHES OF PRECIP WOULD BE NEEDED OVER A SIX HOUR PERIOD TO GENERATE HYDRO CONCERNS. GIVEN LONGER DURATION OF THIS EVENT...WILL HOLD OFF ON HOISTING A FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD WATCH THOUGH IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME ONE BE TO HAVE LOCALIZED FLOODING ISSUES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PRECIP WILL COME TO AN END FROM WEST TO EAST WEDNESDAY AS THE MID/UPPER LOW DEEPENS AND CONTINUES TO SHIFT EASTWARD INTO EASTERN KANSAS. HOWEVER...STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE IN RESPONSE TO THE TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT. A WIND ADVISORY APPEARS HIGHLY LIKELY BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW GIVEN POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE CONVECTION TOMORROW. TEMPS WEDNESDAY WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA WHICH WILL RESULT IN A RAW DAY WHEN COMBINED WITH THE SHOWERS AND STRONG WINDS. MID/UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS ON THURSDAY ALLOWING TEMPS TO REBOUND TO NEAR CLIMO. QUICK MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL CAUSE THE RIDGE TO BREAK DOWN THURSDAY NIGHT AND WILL PROVIDE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRIMARILY OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. BROADER RIDGE BUILDS BACK IN FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AS ANOTHER MID/UPPER TROUGH BEGINS TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. WITH RIDGING IN PLACE...TEMPS WILL WARM INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S BY SUNDAY. LARGE SPREAD AMONGST AVAILABLE GUIDANCE WITH REGARD TO TEMPS ON MEMORIAL DAY ITSELF. OPERATIONAL GFS MOVES A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT RESULTING IN MAX TEMPS ON MONDAY IN THE UPPER 60S/LOW 70S. MEANWHILE...THE EC HOLDS THE TROUGH/SURFACE FRONT BACK TO THE WEST RESULTING IN TEMPS ACROSS THE REGION IN THE MID 90S TO JUST OVER 100 DEGREES. GIVEN THIS HIGH DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY...HAVE OPTED TO FOLLOW THE GEFS MEAN RESULTING IN TEMPS IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S. FOLTZ && .AVIATION... 506 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 FOR THE 00Z TAFS...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE TAF SITES THIS EVENING AND INTO TUESDAY. OUTFLOW FROM THUNDERSTORMS COULD LEAD TO BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...AS WELL AS A TEMPORARY WIND SHIFTS BEFORE RETURNING TO THE PREVAILING DIRECTION. AS A LOW LEVEL JET BRINGS MORE MOISTURE INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT...CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE TO MVFR AND LATER IFR...AND MODERATE RAIN WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY. BY MID MORNING...THE POSSIBILITY FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE AND BE MORE LIKELY AT KMCK THAN KGLD. CJS && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. NE...NONE. CO...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 644 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-251215- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 644 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 /744 PM CDT MON MAY 23 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH BEING THE MOST WIDESPREAD THREAT. THERE IS A SMALL THREAT FOR A BRIEF TORNADO...BUT THAT WILL DIMINISH DURING THE EVENING HOURS. WHILE THE SEVERE THREAT WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT...A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING...PRIMARILY OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
555 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0546 PM HAIL 14 N ATWOOD 40.01N 101.04W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH HITCHCOCK NE TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JMARTINPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
618 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0616 PM HAIL 6 N WINONA 39.15N 101.25W
05/23/2011 E1.75 INCH THOMAS KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
CJSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
628 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0623 PM HAIL 7 SSE TRENTON 40.08N 100.96W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH HITCHCOCK NE TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MENTZERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
640 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0638 PM HAIL MONUMENT 39.10N 101.00W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH LOGAN KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
MENTZERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 838 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 COZ090-091-KSZ001-013-240315- CHEYENNE-KIT CARSON COUNTY-SHERMAN-YUMA COUNTY- 838 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KIT CARSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... YUMA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...SHERMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS AND CHEYENNE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 837 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BONNY RESERVOIR...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. && LAT...LON 3982 10185 3946 10169 3932 10223 3970 10242 TIME...MOT...LOC 0238Z 238DEG 17KT 3955 10216 024
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
906 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0346 PM HAIL KANORADO 39.34N 102.04W
05/23/2011 E0.75 INCH SHERMAN KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
0522 PM HAIL 6 N ATWOOD 39.90N 101.04W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH RAWLINS KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0539 PM HAIL 11 N ATWOOD 39.97N 101.04W
05/23/2011 E1.75 INCH RAWLINS KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0546 PM HAIL 14 N ATWOOD 40.01N 101.04W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH HITCHCOCK NE TRAINED SPOTTER
0616 PM HAIL 6 N WINONA 39.15N 101.25W
05/23/2011 E1.75 INCH THOMAS KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0623 PM HAIL 7 SSE TRENTON 40.08N 100.96W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH HITCHCOCK NE TRAINED SPOTTER
0638 PM HAIL MONUMENT 39.10N 101.00W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH LOGAN KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
JMARTINThe Goodland radar (KGLD), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:00 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Time is estimated from radar. Newspaper account only mentioned the strike occurred during the overnight hours. Three separate rounds of thunderstorms moved through the McCook area overnight. Radar indicated one such storm moved through around midnight CDT time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, May 2011
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: 299342.