The prevailing upper-level pattern for the end of July featured a trough over the Pacific Northwest, favoring southwesterly flow over the central Great Plains. Two troughs ejected out into the north-central CONUS during this episode.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
The prevailing upper-level pattern for the end of July featured a trough over the Pacific Northwest, favoring southwesterly flow over the central Great Plains. Two troughs ejected out into the north-central CONUS during this episode. The first brought two back to back nights of severe weather across portions of northeast Nebraska the night of the 28th and the 29th. The second trough moved out into the central Plains and brought the synoptic scale forcing for a historic severe wind event that impacted both Lincoln and Omaha metropolitan areas. Wind gusts as high as 100 miles per hour extended from Lancaster County northeast to the Nebraska-Iowa border, leaving behind a large swath of significant tree, powerline and structural damage. Power outages from this storm lasted for up to a week in some locations, particularly in Omaha.
This episode also featured several afternoons of excessive heat for portions of southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. A few instances of 110 degree heat indices were observed in a few southwest Iowa counties the afternoon of the 29th, with even more widespread excessive heat the afternoon of the 31st across much of the forecast area south of Interstate 80. Peak heat indices in this region topped out between 110 and 115 degrees before afternoon convection cooled temperatures back down.
The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:26 UTC.
26 thunderstorm wind, 7 excessive heat, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Estimated wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour were reported by the public resulting in numerous tree limbs blown down.
A personal weather station recorded a 65 miles per hour wind gust.
The office received a photo on social media of tree damage. The time was estimated from radar.
Emergency management reported several large trees damage with one uprooted. Corn in the surrounding area was also flattened.
Law enforcement reported damage to wind screens and trees at a food lot.
Emergency management reported several large tree limbs blown down on a farmstead. One limb fell onto a vehicle.
Ping-pong ball sized hail was reported to have lasted about 20 minutes. The office received public reports of damage to vehicles, roofing and vegetation in the area.
The office received a public report of half dollar sized hail.
A trained spotter reported a 71 miles per hour wind gust.
A mesonet recorded a 63 miles per hour wind gust.
Multiple 3-inch tree branches were reported down in the town of Wynot, Nebraska.
Emergency management reported several tree limbs blown down across the town of Randolph.
Emergency management reported numerous tree limbs blown down in the town of Laurel.
Emergency management reported a powerline down in the town of Carroll.
The Tekamah ASOS station recorded a 58 miles per hour wind gust.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hours. Heat indices climbed as high as 111 degrees for portions of the county.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hour for portions of the county. Though no official observations came from the county, its proximity to other counties with observed excessive heat indices supports the likelihood that the same conditions were present here. Peak heat indices likely reached about 112 degrees.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hour for portions of the county. Though no official observations came from the county, its proximity to other counties with observed excessive heat indices supports the likelihood that the same conditions were present here. Peak heat indices likely reached about 112 degrees.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hour for portions of the county. Though no official observations came from the county, its proximity to other counties with observed excessive heat indices supports the likelihood that the same conditions were present here. Peak heat indices likely reached about 112 degrees.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hour for portions of the county. Though no official observations came from the county, its proximity to other counties with observed excessive heat indices supports the likelihood that the same conditions were present here. Peak heat indices likely reached about 111 degrees.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hours. Heat indices climbed as high as 113 degrees for portions of the county.
A combination of hot temperatures and high dew points brought excessive heat during the afternoon hours. Heat indices climbed as high as 110 degrees for portions of the county.
A 63 miles per hour wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
A CO-OP observer reported a measured wind gust of 59 miles per hour.
Law enforcement reported a power line down and a large tree that had fallen across a road.
Widespread severe wind gusts and straight line wind damage was observed across the entirety of Lancaster County with a line of severe thunderstorms that moved through the afternoon of July 31st. The highest measured wind gust was 92 miles per hour, recorded 1 mile southwest of Denton, Nebraska by a mesonet station. An 83 miles per hour wind gust was also measured by the Lincoln ASOS, and an 88 miles per hour wind gust was recorded by another mesonet station 4 miles northwest of Martell. Significant tree damage was reported across the county, with numerous trees blown down across the Lincoln metro. There were also several reports of structural damage, including a hotel which received roof damage near the Lincoln airport. Damages from these storms are estimated to be approximately 1.5 million dollars.
A 59 miles per hour wind gust was recorded by a mesonet station.
A mesonet station recorded a 66 miles per hour wind gust.
A line of intense thunderstorms swept across Sarpy county, resulting in widespread significant wind damage. While the greatest measured wind gust was 80 miles per hour, recorded by a mesonet station in Papillion, narrow swaths of enhanced straight line wind damage was consistent with wind speeds closer to 100 miles per hour. One such swath impacted portions of northeast Gretna, where multiple homes had windows blown out, trees uprooted, and large portions of their roofs blown off. Most of this damage was noted around the intersection of 168th Street and Meridian Street. Additionally, numerous powerlines and traffic lights were damaged or blown down across the county. Multiple semis were also noted as being flipped off of the road, one in north Gretna off of 204th street, and another off of Highway 370 in east Gretna. Power outages lasted for several days after the storms moved through. Total damages from these storms were estimated to be around 15 million dollars, with approximately 10 million in damages to the OPPD infrastructure.
A line of intense thunderstorms swept across the entirety of Douglas County, impacting the largest metropolitan area in the Omaha NWS County Warning Area. As these storms entered the western part of the county, 80 miles per hour wind gusts were likely being produced, with a 76 miles per hour wind gust measured at the Omaha National Weather Service, and a 75 miles per hour wind gust measured by a mesonet station in west Millard. As the storms moved east across the county, the winds continued to intensify with widespread significant damage to trees, powerlines, and structures. In Waterloo, a roof was blown off of a commercial building, and in Midtown, a storefront awning and front fa ade was completely destroyed. Wind gusts in the area were measured as high as 90 miles per hour, both by the Eppley Airfield ASOS and a mesonet station in Bennington. As such, straight line winds were estimated to be as high as 100 miles per hour with these storms as they moved through the Omaha metro. Power outages lasted for a week in some areas of the county, with OPPD estimated approximately 20 million dollars in damage in the county. Total damages from these storms are estimated to be 35 million in Douglas county alone.
A mesonet station recorded a 59 miles per hour wind gust.
An 89 miles per hour wind gust was recorded by a mesonet station.
The 911 Call Center relayed a report of a large dust cloud on the leading edge of the thunderstorm with an embedded gustnado. There was widespread tree damage in the area as well.
A mesonet station recorded a 59 miles per hour wind gust.
A mesonet station recorded a 58 miles per hour wind gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2024
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1206741, 1206742, 1206743, 1206745, 1206746, 1206747, 1206748, 1206749, 1206750, 1206751, 1206752, 1206753, 1206754, 1206755, 1206756, 1206784, 1206777, 1206778, 1206782, 1206774, 1206776, 1206781, 1206757, 1206758, 1206759, 1206760, 1206761, 1206769, 1206771, 1206772, 1206762, 1206763, 1206764, 1206765, 1206767.