This Thursday afternoon and evening featured by far the most widespread severe weather and heavy rain event of the month within South Central Nebraska, although several northwestern counties hardly even saw a drop of rain as the majority of storms concentrated south of a line from Cambridge-Hastings-York along a slowly advancing cold front. Primarily between 4-9 PM CDT, several initially…
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 GID wrote it up.
This Thursday afternoon and evening featured by far the most widespread severe weather and heavy rain event of the month within South Central Nebraska, although several northwestern counties hardly even saw a drop of rain as the majority of storms concentrated south of a line from Cambridge-Hastings-York along a slowly advancing cold front. Primarily between 4-9 PM CDT, several initially multicell and brief supercell storm structures gradually morphed into a quasi-linear forward-propagating mesoscale convective system (MCS) that eventually exited southeastward into Kansas. There were several reports of large hail from golf ball to tennis ball size, damaging wind gusts of 60-70 MPH and also localized flooding due to fairly widespread rainfall of 2-4 inches over a short time. A few of the most notable hail and wind reports included tennis ball size hail at Glenvil, golf ball size hail along with estimated 70 MPH winds in far southern Furnas County, estimated 70 MPH winds in Lawrence, and downed trees in the Alma and Orleans area. Rainfall and flooding-wise, the heaviest amounts of at least 3-4 inches targeted much of Clay, Fillmore, Nuckolls and Thayer Counties, along with southeastern Adams and far northeastern Webster Counties. Within this zone of heavy rain, the very highest amounts of 4 to over 4.50 inches focused along a narrow corridor from near Lawrence and Deweese to Clay Center, with numerous county roads reported under water in southern Clay County. During the ensuing 24 hours, flooding was reported along the Little Sandy Creek southeast of Clay Center, and the Little Blue River near Deweese crested at 9.7 feet, just short of the 10.0 ft. flood stage.
Breaking down event timing, the first few hours between 4-6 PM CDT featured severe storm development in two separate areas, with a western cluster focused over Furnas and Harlan Counties, while other severe storms erupted primarily over Clay and Adams Counties. During the next few hours through roughly 8 PM CDT, these two separate areas of severe storms congealed into a nearly solid line and started propagating southeast, with severe activity finally departing the local area out of Nuckolls and Thayer Counties by 9 PM CDT. Although additional storms lingered across much of South Central Nebraska through at least midnight CDT, none were severe. The primary low-level focus for this event was a slow-moving cold front stretched from northwest Kansas to northeast Nebraska at mid-afternoon. In the mid and upper levels, synoptic scale forcing was relatively weak, with the area positioned well south of a stronger shortwave swinging across southern Canada and the Dakotas. However, with surface dewpoints averaging 65-70F, convective instability was quite high with late afternoon mixed-layer CAPE climbing to at least 3000-4000 J/kg. On the other hand, 0-6 kilometer vertical wind shear was fairly weak at only around 30 knots, which combined with steering flow roughly parallel to the surface front to yield initially slow-moving, outflow dominant storms. Locally heavy rainfall was enhanced by precipitable water values averaging 1.3 to 1.8 inches.
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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 14, 2:58 PM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 358 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE BIG WEATHER STORY WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE VICINITY OF A SFC COLD FRONT. THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER CHANCES WE HAVE SEEN FOR WIDESPREAD APPRECIABLE PRECIPITATION IN QUITE SOME TIME. MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ALONG THE SFC BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS A HIGH INSTABILITY...LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT WITH MLCAPE VALUES OF OVER 4500 J/KG BUT 0-6KM BULK SHEAR VALUES OF LESS THAN 25 KTS. THE UPPER LEVEL STEERING WINDS ARE WEAK AND STORM MOTION SHOULD BE FAIRLY SLOW. IN ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS MAY TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREAS WITH THE COMBINATION OF SLOW MOVEMENT AND TRAINING STORMS INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING. GIVEN THE LACK OF SHEAR...THUNDERSTORMS WILL QUICKLY BECOME OUTFLOW DOMINATE WITH NEW THUNDERSTORMS FORMING ALONG INTERACTING COLD POOLS. THEREFORE...THE ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTS MULTI CELL CLUSTERS OF THESE LARGELY OUTFLOW DOMINATE THUNDERSTORMS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL GENERALLY MOVE TOWARDS THE EAST WITH THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES TURNING MORE SOUTHEAST WITH TIME. THE HIGH INSTABILITY WILL ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE HAIL DESPITE THE RELATIVELY WEAK SHEAR. HIGH WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEIR PRECIPITATION CORES DESCEND. FRIDAY...CONFIDENCE IN RAIN CHANCES DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY IS FAIRLY LOW AND MAY DEPEND ON HOW EVERYTHING EVOLVES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES PRODUCED BY THIS EVENINGS CONVECTION WILL BE A KEY PLAYER IN THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ON FRIDAY. FORECAST MODELS ARE SHOWING A WIDE VARIETY OF SOLUTIONS FOR FRIDAY WITH MOST MODELS SHOWING MORE LOW END ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE TO GO WITH LOW END THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE FORECAST ON FRIDAY WITH BETTER CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNING TO THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN REMAINS WITH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES DURING THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AT THE START OF THE PERIOD FRIDAY EVENING/OVERNIGHT SHOWING A MESSY SOUTHWEST PATTERN IN THE UPPER LEVELS...WITH THE MAIN FEATURES BEING HIGH PRESSURE EXPANDED OVER THE MIDWESTERN CONUS AND AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WHICH HAS DUG DOWN INTO FAR SRN CA. IN BETWEEN...EMBEDDED WAVES LOOK TO BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE HIGH/CENTRAL PLAINS. MAIN CHANGE TO THE FORECAST WAS TO EXPAND THE HIGHER POPS IN PLACE ACROSS SC NEB SOUTH INTO NC KS...WITH MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT SHOWING THUNDERSTORMS WHICH INITIALLY DEVELOP TO OUR WEST MOVING IN OVERNIGHT WITH ONE OF THOSE WEAK WAVES...BUT ALSO AIDED BY A SRLY 30-40KT LLJ NOSING INTO THE CWA. GOOD INSTABILITY REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE CONCERN FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS /DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS STILL ON THE WEAK SIDE/ TO BE ON THE STRONG TO SEVERE SIDE. DIDNT MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PRECIP FORECAST FOR SATURDAY...WITH MODELS DIFFERENCES KEPT THEM IN THE LOW CHANCE RANGE...WITH THE SLIGHTLY HIGHER POPS IN THE ERN/SRN AREAS. DURING THE MORNING HOURS...PRECIP CHANCES LOOK TO BE MAINLY TIED TO LINGERING ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LLJ/UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CONTINUING TO SHIFT EAST. IN THE MEANTIME...ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED OVER SC CANADA AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO BE PUSHING A SURFACE FRONT IN FROM THE N/NW. CURRENT MODELS HAVE THE FRONT ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE CWA BY MIDDAY AND ON OUR SRN/SERN EDGE BY EVENING...BUT THAT TIMING COULD BE AFFECTED BY ANY LINGERING ACTIVITY IN THE MORNING...SO CONFIDENCE IS NOT THE HIGHEST. SO LATE IN THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT HOURS...THIS SFC BOUNDARY WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS...AGAIN AIDED BY THE DEVELOPING LLJ /WHICH LOOKS TO BE MORE IN A SW-NE DIRECTION THAN FRIDAY/. KEPT THE BETTER POPS FOR SAT EVENING/NIGHT ACROSS FAR SRN NEB INTO NC KS. INSTABILITY/SHEAR PARAMETERS REMAIN FAIRLY SIMILAR...SO WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CHANCE FOR SOME STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. DECIDED TO KEEP THE DRY FORECAST FOR SUNDAY GOING...THOUGH WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE ERN/SERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. UPPER LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE AREA REMAINS GENERALLY ZONAL...AND COULD BE SOME LINGERING ACTIVITY FROM SATURDAY NIGHT. MODELS SHOW THE WEAK SFC BOUNDARY ACROSS THE AREA WASHING OUT AND MORE SOLID SRLY FLOW SETTING UP AHEAD OF ANOTHER FRONT OFF TO THE WEST...AND EXPECT BETTER PRECIP CHANCES TO SHIFT OFF TO THE E/NE OF THE CWA. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES GO THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE...WITH HIGHS SAT/SUN GENERALLY IN THE MID 80S TO NEAR 90 AND LOWS IN THE 60S. THE FORECAST SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT REMAINS DRY...MODELS NOT SHOWING ANY NOTABLE DISTURBANCES SHIFTING THROUGH THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW. THE PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION IS ZONAL...UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BROAD TROUGHING...A RESULT OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER WRN/CENTRAL CANADA. THINGS LOOK TO POTENTIALLY BECOME MORE UNSETTLED DURING THE MIDWEEK PERIOD...AS THE PATTERN TRANSITIONS TO MORE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WITH HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING THROUGH THE MIDWEST/INTO THE GREAT LAKES...WHILE A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM STARTS TO DIG SOUTH INTO THE PAC NW AND ROCKIES. A SURFACE BOUNDARY MAKES ITS WAY INTO AT LEAST NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA /IF NOT FURTHER/...HELPING PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR ACTIVITY. AT THIS POINT THE BETTER CHANCES FOR PRECIP LOOK TO COME DURING THE WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME...BUT WITH IT BEING THIS FAR OUT...NO DOUBT THAT TIMING WILL CHANGE...SO KEPT POPS LOW. FORECAST HIGHS ON MONDAY IN THE NEAR 90/MID 90S RANGE ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY TAPER DOWN THROUGH MIDWEEK...BASED ON THE ARRIVAL OF THAT SURFACE FRONT. CURRENTLY HAVE HIGHS FALLING INTO THE NEAR 80/LOW 80S BY THURSDAY. && .AVIATION...12Z TAF. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A COLD FRONT WILL BE APPROACHING THE KGRI TERMINAL AREA. ALONG THE FRONT THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT...WESELY LONG...ODER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 338 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 151215- PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE- SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK- GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN- WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 338 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA BRINGING WITH IT A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. SEVERAL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. IN ADDITION...THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF DUMPING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...THERE WILL BE CONTINUED CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE BEST CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO BE ON THE STRONG TO SEVERE SIDE REMAINS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN TO THE OUTLOOK AREA. WHILE IT IS TOO EARLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC DETAILS...THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE) WESELY/ODER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 354 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 NEZ049-142130- POLK NE- 354 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN POLK COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM CDT... AT 350 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SHELBY...OR 20 MILES SOUTH OF COLUMBUS... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... SHELBY... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 4110 9737 4109 9750 4118 9756 4129 9737 TIME...MOT...LOC 2054Z 238DEG 16KT 4116 9745
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:40 UTC.
19 heavy rain, 19 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Rain began at about 440 pm CDT. A rain total of 3.00 inches occurred with heavy rain ongoing at the time of this report at 750 CDT.
Rain total of 3.18 inches for the past 24 hours. The rain began approximately at 5 pm CDT on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 4.33 inches for the past 24 hours. The rain began approximately at 5 pm CDT on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 4.50 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.16 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.20 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.45 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Numerous county roads were under water across southern Clay County, mainly south of Highway 74. Flash flooding resulted in the closure of Johnson Road, with flash flooding also occurring near the intersection of Highway 6 and Road X.
Wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph.
Rain total of 3.40 inches for the past 24 hours. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.23 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.16 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.25 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.08 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.08 inches over the past 24 hours. Report from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the early evening on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 4.40 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 4.37 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 4.66 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.33 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.28 of inches for the past 24 hours. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Rain total of 3.07 inches for the past 24 hours. Report comes from the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
Hail the size of golf balls fell along with estimated wind gusts of 70 mph.
Wind gusts of 45 mph occurred along with the hail.
Wind gusts up to 60 mph occurred along with the ping pong ball size hail on Showboat Road.
A thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was reported by the local fire department.
Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
A 70 mph wind gust was reported by the Lawrence Fire Department.
Estimated wind gusts of 50 mph were occurring with the hail.
Estimated wind gusts of 60 mph occurred along with the golf ball size hail. The golf ball size hail was ongoing at the time of this report. Very heavy rainfall was also occurring.
Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph resulted in downed trees along with power outages.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estmated at 60 mph occurred along with golf ball size hail. Very heavy rain was also occurring.
Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked down several trees.
A 60 mph wind gust was reported from the general public.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, June 2012
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: 382893, 381704, 381705, 381706, 381707, 382910, 382911, 383215, 383220, 383236, 383244, 381710, 381930, 381933, 381937, 381938, 382356, 382266, 388584, 382912, 383216, 383217, 383229, 383230, 383235, 383237, 383238, 383239, 383250, 383253, 390165, 382267, 388594, 382268, 382270, 382271, 382288, 382292, 382272, 382294, and more.