Slow moving storms led to heavy rain and flash flooding in many places across southeast Nebraska.
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.
Slow moving storms led to heavy rain and flash flooding in many places across southeast Nebraska.
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 Jul 29, 11:33 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 1233 PM CDT Wed Jul 29 2020 ...Updated Aviation Forecast Discussion... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 336 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2020 Widespread rain showers are expected across the area today and tomorrow. This will be a slow moving system that will lead to more rain over southeast Nebraska. High soil moisture and elevated rivers in that area will leave it vulnerable to flash flooding over the next 48 hours. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 336 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2020 Today and Tomorrow: Water vapor imagery shows a deepening trough over the northern Rockies. That upper level disturbance is expected to slowly move southeast across Nebraska providing a broad area of lift leading to widespread showers across the forecast area. The system will be moving into a fairly unstable airmass with forecast soundings showing that instability should top 2000 J/kg. The instability will be mitigated by a lack of shear and weak lapse rates which will largely limit any severe weather threats. The increased instability will likely lead to pockets of heavier rainfall in some places. Rain is expected to begin in the mid morning along the KS/NE border and move northward. The best chances for rain will generally be south of the Platte River. Though, there is some large model spread in precipitation and there is a chance some heavier rain does make it into northeast Nebraska. While the upper level disturbance is moving from the northern Rockies into Nebraska, a surface low will develop and move across Kansas. It will help bring more moisture into the area. Precipitable water (PW) values are expected to increase to close to 2 inches. The increased PW should help the 2 day rainfall totals range from 1 to 3 inches. Again, most of the rain should fall south of the Platte River. There could be some locally higher amounts in places where stronger convection takes place. Southeast Nebraska will be vulnerable to flash flooding due to the increased moisture, the slow speed of the system, and the heavy rain that fell on Sunday. Rain is likely to come to an end across the area Thursday afternoon. Friday through Tuesday: Temperatures in the longer range are expected to be about 5 to 10 degrees below normal as an amplified upper level pattern builds over North America. A trough is expected to move south from the Hudson Bay area and strengthen over the East Coast. At the same time, a ridge will build over the West Coast and reach peak strength on Monday. This will leave the central portion of the country in northwest flow (more north northwest) and will keep temperatures well below normal for much of the country. The extended range should also be mostly dry except for a slight chance on Saturday. The ECMWF/Euro/Canadian are all in good agreement on precipitation. Any precipitation would be on the lighter side without any severe weather threats. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon) Issued at 1223 PM CDT Wed Jul 29 2020 Precipitation has already begun to overspread southeast Nebraska, with scattered showers and storms reaching near the KLNK TAF site and will likely reach the KOMA site between 18 and 19z. Ceilings are largely VFR, but areas with precipitation have been dipping into MVFR or very near it. Winds are generally from the southeast, but will switch to northeasterly around sunset, with wind speeds expected to stay light through the TAF period. A few thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon/evening along a front near the NE/SD border, but the convective allowing models are not consistent with placement or development in general, so any TSRA mentions are left out of KOFK's TAF at this time. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for NEZ088-089-092-093. IA...None. && SYNOPSIS...Fajman DISCUSSION...Fajman AVIATION...Petersen
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 1120 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2020 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-300630- 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- 1120 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2020 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 Scattered showers and storms are expected today through tonight, especially south of the Platte River. Southeast Nebraska is especially vulnerable to flash flooding today and tonight due to high rainfall forecast, high soil moisture, and elevated river levels. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Rain will continue into Thursday and come to an end in the afternoon. This will be a long duration event and areas receiving high amounts of rain will be vulnerable to flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
The Omaha radar (KOAX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:46 UTC.
9 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Public reported water flowing over Hickman Road near 54th St. Photo and info sent in via social media.
Emergency manager reported that 565th Avenue north of highway 136 is impassable due to flooding.
Public reported minor lowland flooding affecting unmaintained roads along Turkey Creek.
Emergency manager reported more county roads being closed due to flooding.
Public reported Stagecoach Road just east of S 96th Street was underwater. Photo and info provided via social media.
Public reported water running off of the fields and over Highway 34.
Emergency manager reported water over highway 75. Slow traffic has continued on the road.
Emergency manager reported road closure due to flooding near the intersection of 82nd Street and Stagecoach Road.
Public reported section of Hickman Road just west of Hickman closed to through traffic due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2020
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: 911873, 911876, 911877, 911878, 911880, 911881, 911883, 911884, 911886.