Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska · 2012

EF1 tornado, Pleasant Dale, Nebraska, April 14, 2012

This EF1 tornado ran 2.3 miles across Seward County on April 14, 2012, touching down at 11:26 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
April 14, 2012
Touchdown
11:26 PM CDT (04:26 UTC)
Lifted
11:30 PM CDT (04:30 UTC)
On the ground
4 minutes
Path length
2.3 miles (3.7 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Seward County
Touchdown point
40.859, -96.943
Lift-off point
40.852, -96.970
Record number
1204142226-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A strong upper level system over the southern Rockies lifted northeast across the plains causing an intense surface low pressure system and attendant warm front to lift into Nebraska. The main warm front remained either in southern Nebraska or in Kansas, and the shear and instability associated with the system produced widespread multi-cellular convection with embedded super cell thunderstorms near and north of the front. The more surface based super cells produced several tornadoes in southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, while more elevated storms in northeast Nebraska produced very large hail. In addition, areas of very heavy rain produced isolated flash and river flooding across the area.

A tornado destroyed several farm outbuildings and caused tree and house damage to several farmsteads near Twin Lakes northeast of Milford.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 23:27 UTC and running to 08:50 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
17:00 UTC23:27 UTCTornado WatchOAX
23:27 UTC08:50 UTCTornado WatchOAX
04:01 UTC04:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAX
04:26 UTC04:43 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAX
04:31 UTC04:41 UTCTornado WarningOAX

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 01:00 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Omaha, NE (KOAX), 00:00Z

4.4 hours before the tornado, 71 km from the path. April 15, 2012.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2012-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -48183, lifted condensation level 871 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2012-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 276 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 73 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48183 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
871 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
73 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
276 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
483 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Omaha, NE (KOAX), 12:00Z

7.6 hours after it, 71 km from the path. April 15, 2012.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2012-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 308 joules per kilogram, CIN -118, lifted condensation level 599 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 2012-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 262 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 92 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
308 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-118 J/kg
Surface CAPE
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
599 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
92 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
262 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
342 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.7
0-3 km lapse rate
3.8 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Lincoln (LNK), 16 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
02:54 UTC6058130° 6 kt997.3
03:13 UTC60.859120° 8 kt997.6
03:54 UTC6160130° 11 kt997.6-RA BR
04:42 UTC60.860.8270° 31 kt43997.6-RA BR SQ
04:44 UTC5959250° 26 kt43998+RA BR SQ
04:51 UTC57.257.2260° 31 kt37997+TSRA FG
04:54 UTC5957270° 26 kt37997.3-TSRA BR
04:57 UTC5957.2290° 27 kt37996.6TSRA BR
05:12 UTC60.857.2310° 8 kt997.3-TSRA BR
05:54 UTC595880° 5 kt997

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 04:24 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
03:52 UTCHAIL 0.75FairmontFillmore, NE
03:54 UTCHAIL 1.752 W Mccool JunctionYork, NE
04:20 UTCHAIL 0.75SewardSeward, NE
04:26 UTCTORNADO5 Nnw Pleasant DaleSeward, NEAN EF1 TORNADO PRODUCED MAINLY SHED AND TREE DAMAGE TO A COUPLE OF FARMS NORTHWEST OF PLEASANT DALE.
04:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGGarlandSeward, NEDAMAGE TO OUTBUILDINGS AT 3 FARMSTEADS. RELAYED THROUGH LOCAL NEWSPAPER IN SEWARD.
04:43 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD1 Nne LincolnLancaster, NENORTHEAST OF AIRFIELD
05:08 UTCHAIL 0.754 Sw WaverlyLancaster, NE
05:18 UTCTORNADO1 Nw South BendCass, NENWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF1 TORNADO STARTING 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF SOUTH BEND...AND LIFTING AT 1212 AM 2 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF SOUTH BEND IN CASS COUNTY ACROSS THE PLATTE RIVER.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2012 tornado in NebraskaEvery tornado in Nebraska since 1950Warnings in force in Nebraska nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 14, 2012

83 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 1411:38 AM CDTEF1Pawnee, KS4.1100$35,000
April 1412:14 PM CDTEF1Rush, KS17.2200$125,000
April 141:23 PM CDTEF0Russell, KS0.575
April 141:34 PM CDTEF0Russell, KS1.875
April 141:43 PM CDTEF0Russell, KS2.975
April 141:57 PM CDTEF1Ford, KS33.7200
April 142:03 PM CDTEF1Mitchell, KS4.0300$100,000
April 142:10 PM CDTEF0Nuckolls, NE3.140
April 142:24 PM CDTEF1Clark, KS6.3150
April 142:28 PM CDTEF0Monona, IA0.425
April 142:30 PM CDTEF0Thayer, NE0.025
April 142:56 PM CDTEF0Thayer, NE0.360$350,000
April 143:24 PM CDTEF1Pawnee, KS4.7100
April 143:28 PM CDTEF1Edwards, KS9.3100
April 143:49 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK4.030
April 143:59 PM CDTEF1Woodward, OK0.530
April 143:59 PM CDTEF1Comanche, KS10.9125
April 144:04 PM CDTEF0Rush, KS0.975
April 144:25 PM CDTEF1Stafford, KS9.8150
April 144:26 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK0.230
April 144:33 PM CDTEF0Woods, OK0.330
April 144:35 PM CDTEF1Stafford, KS14.3150
April 144:44 PM CDTEF0Pratt, KS2.3100
April 144:50 PM CDTEF0Barton, KS0.550
April 144:50 PM CDTEF0Johnson, NE2.8100
April 144:56 PM CDTEF2Johnson, NE5.8440
April 145:02 PM CDTEF0Kingman, KS0.550
April 145:07 PM CDTEF0Johnson, NE3.8100
April 145:08 PM CDTEF0Pratt, KS2.375
April 145:18 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE0.120
April 145:18 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK0.230
April 145:21 PM CDTEF1Otoe, NE2.0200
April 145:24 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK0.230
April 145:27 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE0.010
April 145:28 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE0.010
April 145:28 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE0.020
April 145:28 PM CDTEF2Fremont, IA12.28804
April 145:32 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE0.520
April 145:33 PM CDTEF4Rice, KS50.3400
April 145:47 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE0.010
April 146:15 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK0.230
April 146:16 PM CDTEF0Harlan, NE0.840$75,000
April 146:30 PM CDTEF0Kingman, KS1.350
April 146:36 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, NE15.120
April 146:50 PM CDTEF0Saline, KS0.650
April 146:50 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK0.120
April 146:51 PM CDTEF0Woodward, OK0.250
April 146:52 PM CDTEF2Adams, IA16.68002$5.0 million
April 146:55 PM CDTEF0Kingman, KS0.250
April 146:55 PM CDTEF1Saline, KS15.8100$10,000
April 147:01 PM CDTEF0Major, OK0.130
April 147:06 PM CDTEF1Woods, OK7.2150
April 147:10 PM CDTEF0Reno, KS0.350
April 147:19 PM CDTEF0Woods, OK1.075
April 147:30 PM CDTEF0Woods, OK9.0400
April 147:31 PM CDTEF0Dickinson, KS3.325
April 147:47 PM CDTEF1Alfalfa, OK10.0400
April 147:54 PM CDTEF1Warren, IA0.875$200,000
April 147:57 PM CDTEF0Alfalfa, OK12.0400
April 148:03 PM CDTEF0McPherson, KS0.6100

All 84 of them

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.