An upper-level low tracked from the northern Rockies into the mid Missouri Valley in tandem with a surface low that developed slowly east across Nebraska. Multiple waves of thunderstorms moved through eastern Nebraska during the 24th and 25th with isolated occurrences of damaging winds and severe hail, along with heavy rain that resulted in areas of flooding.
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.
An upper-level low tracked from the northern Rockies into the mid Missouri Valley in tandem with a surface low that developed slowly east across Nebraska. Multiple waves of thunderstorms moved through eastern Nebraska during the 24th and 25th with isolated occurrences of damaging winds and severe hail, along with heavy rain that resulted in areas of flooding. Hardest hit were Cuming and Platte Counties where rainfall totals of 6.0 to 6.5 were reported.
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 Jun 24, 3:01 PM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 401 PM CDT Sun Jun 24 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Wednesday) Issued at 347 PM CDT Sun Jun 24 2018 Main forecast problems are possible severe convection and flooding in the near term. Complex mesoscale pattern over the Central Plains. Large MCS moved across OK/southern KS last night and stabilized the air mass across much of Kansas. Main low level moisture axis extends from along the Missouri River Valley from northwest Missouri southeastern South Dakota. In addition a surface trough extends from near Hastings to Sioux City. Another boundary extends from Sioux City Southeast into central Iowa. Air mass is unstable with ML CAPE between 1500 to 2000 J/Kg. Convection has developed on both boundaries. Effective bulk shear is weak over eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa, hence we can expect pulse storms across the area. Surface vorticity is sufficient along these boundaries to be conducive for non-supercell tornadoes and will have to be watched closely. As upper low moves into the Central High Plains tonight with a strong shortwave rotating around the low across eastern Nebraska Monday morning. Overnight Thunderstorms are expected to travel east and become an MCS across Kansas. Nebraska will be on the northern fringe of the MCS, but some heavy precipitation may rotate northeast across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa in the early morning hours. It is at this time we will have to watch for any flooding from heavy rain over the area. Closed upper low will be over northeast Nebraska on monday and greatest threat of heavy rainfall will be over northeast Nebraska. Threat of severe on Monday appears to be over western Iowa where greater instability is expected east of upper low. By midday Tuesday, the upper low moves out of the area. Ridging moves into the area for Wednesday and temperatures begin to warm up into the 90s. Hotest day is expected to be Thursday with heat indices .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Sunday) Issued at 347 PM CDT Sun Jun 24 2018 Ridge remains over the area with hot temperatures in the mid 90s and heat indices between 100 and 105. Overnight thunderstorm complexes moving across the ridge over the area are possible early Thursday and Saturday morning. Another upper trough is forecast to move in on late Saturday into Sunday, which will be the next chance for organized convection. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) Issued at 1221 PM CDT Sun Jun 24 2018 Expect TSRA activity to expand across ern NE this aft and evening with occasional MVFR conditions at all TAF sites btwn 25/00z-04z. As upper level system approaches from the west occasional SHRA likely to continue btwn 25/06z-12z. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None. && SHORT TERM...Smith LONG TERM...Smith AVIATION...DEE
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 1106 AM CDT Sun Jun 24 2018 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-250615- 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- 1106 AM CDT Sun Jun 24 2018 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 There is a chance of severe storms developing over most of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa late this afternoon and tonight. The main hazards should be damaging winds and large hail, along with a very small chance for a tornado or two. Storms will also be capable of producing very heavy rain, which could lead to flooding. Minor river flooding will continue along the Missouri River from Brownville downstream to Rulo. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Thunderstorms with heavy rain will be possible over most of the area Monday into Monday night. Some storms could be severe, with hail and strong winds, especially across western Iowa. A few storms could occur Tuesday into Tuesday night. The chance of severe storms looks fairly low, but a few could approach severe limits in southwest Iowa. Additional thunderstorms are possible by Friday night into Saturday. Minor river flooding is forecast to continue along the Missouri River from Brownville to Rulo through the period. Flooding may develop farther north by mid week, from around Plattsmouth to Nebraska City. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Storm spotter activation may be needed today, especially from mid afternoon into the evening.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska
256 PM CDT SUN JUN 24 2018
NEZ043-242030-
Colfax NE-
256 PM CDT SUN JUN 24 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN COLFAX COUNTY UNTIL 330
PM CDT...
At 255 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5
miles southeast of Leigh, or 16 miles northeast of Columbus, moving
northeast at 20 mph.
Dime size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Clarkson, Richland, and Camp Luther.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4174 9716 4174 9711 4156 9703 4140 9719
4142 9725 4164 9725
TIME...MOT...LOC 1955Z 216DEG 16KT 4164 9719
BLBSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska 445 PM CDT SUN JUN 24 2018 NEZ017-018-031-032-242215- Stanton NE-Madison NE-Pierce NE-Wayne NE- 445 PM CDT SUN JUN 24 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN MADISON... SOUTHWESTERN WAYNE...SOUTHEASTERN PIERCE AND NORTHWESTERN STANTON COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM CDT... At 445 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4 miles northeast of Battle Creek, or 5 miles west of Norfolk, moving northwest at 15 mph. Dime size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Norfolk, Battle Creek, Hadar and Hoskins. LAT...LON 4205 9727 4190 9756 4210 9769 4224 9739 TIME...MOT...LOC 2145Z 143DEG 13KT 4203 9752 MEAD
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska
452 PM CDT SUN JUN 24 2018
IAZ091-242230-
Page IA-
452 PM CDT SUN JUN 24 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN PAGE COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM
CDT...
At 452 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Clarinda, or 14 miles northwest of Bedford, moving north at 10 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Clarinda, Shambaugh and Hepburn.
LAT...LON 4060 9507 4089 9511 4088 9493 4073 9493
4073 9491 4059 9492
TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 184DEG 10KT 4075 9498
MEADThe Omaha radar (KOAX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:56 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 3 flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
People reported a large quantity of haii ranging from penny size to quarter size 1 mile northwest of Hadar.
Damaging thunderstorm winds uprooted tress and broke large tree limbs 2 miles east southeast of Chalco.
Large tree limbs were blown down.
Heavy rainfall of 4 to 6 1/2 inches caused flash flooding in parts of Platte County. Flooding in Platte Center and nearby areas required sandbagging to occur to reduce the effects of flooding. Flooding started on the evening of the 24th and continued into the morning of the 25th.
Numerous roads were closed across Cuming County starting on the evening of the 24th and continuing early morning on the 25th. 6 to 6 1/2 inches of rain fell over parts of Cuming County that caused flash flooding.
Highway 81 was closed due to flooding of Shell Creek from 4 to 6 1/2 inch rainfall.
More than 5 inches of heavy rain from thunderstorms caused significant rises of water out of creeks into cornfields.
Heavy rainfall caused water to go over the road at Nebraska Highway 22 and 280th Avenue east of Oconee.
Heavy rainfall of 4 to 6 1/2 inches caused the fork of Loseke Creek to go over its banks in Platte County.
Thunderstorms producing 4 to 5 inch rainfall across Thurston County caused flash flooding near Pender. Nebraska highways 94, 9, and 16 were all under water.
A tree was uprooted by damaging winds near Roca.
Trees were blown down on 58th and R streets in Lincoln.
A large tree was uprooted in northeast Lincoln.
Large tree branches broken by damaging winds near 35th and Vine Streets in Lincoln.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, June 2018
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: 771620, 771627, 771621, 771622, 771629, 771628, 771632, 771631, 771633, 771634, 771630, 771623, 771624, 771625, 771626.