Severe thunderstorms moved through western Iowa the area during the early morning on August 18th, 2019.
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.
Severe thunderstorms moved through western Iowa the area during the early morning on August 18th, 2019.
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 Aug 18, 2:06 AM CST, 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 306 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Tuesday) Issued at 305 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 The main forecast concerns are in regards to potential for some severe storms and heavy rain Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Temperatures yesterday topped out mostly in the mid and upper 80s in the local area. Today will be cooler, with the most noticeable cooling in the northern part of the forecast area. Upper air charts from last evening showed fairly strong mid tropospheric flow, for this time of year, across the northern and central parts of the Plains. At 500 mb, the strongest 12 hour height falls (around 60 meters) last evening were noted near the border of MT, ND and Saskatchewan. These height falls continue to move eastward. Water vapor imagery indicated the axis of a mid level trough extending from southern Manitoba into western NE early this morning. Two main clusters of storms have been ongoing the in the past 6 hours, with the most coverage to our north, south and east. We may still see some isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms for parts of our area. Will keep some 20-30 percent chances for precipitation going this morning. As of about 3 am, a cold front (at least partially enhanced by thunderstorm outflow) stretched from MN across northwest IA, parts of eastern NE and then into northwest KS. Temperatures in the 40s were noted in eastern MT and western ND. The previously mentioned front should continue to push southeast through the region today. Look for high temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s across northeast NE, with lower and mid 80s elsewhere in our forecast area. Will keep a dry forecast going for tonight and Monday. High pressure at the surface will build in tonight, then shift off to the east Monday. Some moisture should start to return aloft Monday night, thus will include a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. A weak front is forecast to slide into our area from the north Tuesday. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday night through Saturday) Issued at 305 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 Storm chances should be higher for Tuesday night, with a frontal boundary in the vicinity, development of a low level jet and an influx of deeper moisture. Precipitable Water (PW) values may increase to around two inches with bulk shear increasing to over 40 knots. This may result in some severe storms (see the SPC Day 3 Outlook) and areas of locally heavy rain for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. In general, the large scale pattern should feature a ridge across the southern part of the US at the beginning of the long term period, with closed lows off the coast of British Columbia and over northern Ontario. Through the week, there will be some subtle changes. What is expected to happen by Friday and Saturday is that moderately strong zonal flow will spread from the Pacific Northwest eastward toward the northern half of the Plains. This should keep intermittent chances for showers and thunderstorms going for our area. The highest chances (outside of Tuesday night) are currently expected from Wednesday into Wednesday night. High temperatures should vary from the upper 70s to the upper 80s, with lows mostly in the 60s. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night) Issued at 1126 PM CDT Sat Aug 17 2019 An MCS is in progress as of 11 PM from southwest MN into northwest IA and southeast SD with trailing isolated thunderstorms stretching west to near KONL. That latter convection could pass near or to the north of KOFK within the next couple of hours. Thereafter, a cold front will move through the area with south winds switching to northwest at around 10 kt. Models continue to indicate a swath of MVFR ceilings behind the front which will most likely impact KOFK and KLNK into Sunday morning. Some low-level wind shear is also possible overnight at KOMA and KLNK. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None. && SHORT TERM...Miller LONG TERM...Miller AVIATION...Mead
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 350 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-182300- 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- 350 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest Iowa...west central Iowa...east central Nebraska...northeast Nebraska and southeast Nebraska. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will affect parts of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa this morning. Some storms could be strong, with gusty winds, small hail and heavy rain. There is still a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon for parts of southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Minor flooding will continue on the Missouri River above Lewis and Clark Lake and from around Plattsmouth downstream past Rulo. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Hot and humid conditions are forecast for Monday and Tuesday. Heat index values could reach 95 to 100 Monday and from about 99 to 106 on Tuesday across parts of southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Thunderstorms will be possible for at least parts of the area from Monday night into Thursday. Some storms could be severe Tuesday evening into Tuesday night. Heavy rain will also be possible. Minor flooding will continue on the Missouri River above Lewis and Clark Lake and from around Plattsmouth downstream into Missouri. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation should not be needed today or tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska
1129 PM CDT Sat Aug 17 2019
NEZ011-016-180500-
Knox NE-Antelope NE-
1129 PM CDT Sat Aug 17 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN ANTELOPE AND
SOUTHWESTERN KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...
At 1129 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles northeast of Page, or 19 miles east of O'neill, moving east at
30 mph.
Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Creighton, Verdigre, Winnetoon, The Highway 14 And 59 Junction and
Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT for
northeastern Nebraska.
LAT...LON 4264 9794 4234 9790 4238 9830 4256 9831
4257 9831
TIME...MOT...LOC 0429Z 265DEG 34KT 4248 9827
MEADSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska
1151 PM CDT Sat Aug 17 2019
NEZ011-180515-
Knox NE-
1151 PM CDT Sat Aug 17 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN KNOX COUNTY UNTIL 1215 AM
CDT...
At 1150 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles northeast of Verdigre, or 23 miles south of Tyndall, moving
east at 40 mph.
Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Bloomfield, Wausa, Niobrara, Center, Winnetoon, Bazile Mills and
Lindy.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT for
northeastern Nebraska.
LAT...LON 4249 9752 4252 9801 4276 9804 4277 9797
4277 9795 4278 9793 4285 9756
TIME...MOT...LOC 0450Z 267DEG 36KT 4265 9792
MEADSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska 1211 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 NEZ011-012-017-180545- Cedar NE-Pierce NE-Knox NE- 1211 AM CDT Sun Aug 18 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN PIERCE... SOUTHEASTERN KNOX AND CEDAR COUNTIES UNTIL 1245 AM CDT... At 1211 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Wausa, or 21 miles south of Lewis And Clark State Recreation Area, moving east at 35 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Hartington, Bloomfield, Wausa, Coleridge, Wynot, Laurel, Crofton, Pleasant Valley, Fordyce and Magnet. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 100 AM CDT for northeastern Nebraska. LAT...LON 4243 9763 4270 9767 4279 9716 4243 9702 TIME...MOT...LOC 0511Z 267DEG 49KT 4256 9754 MEAD
The Omaha radar (KOAX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:02 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 12 foot diameter tree. Also a few 8-12 inch limbs broken off in other areas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, August 2019
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: 851327.