Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska · 2023

EF1 tornado, Pawnee City to Table Rock, Nebraska, May 12, 2023

From Pawnee City to Table Rock, this EF1 tornado ran 3.0 miles across Pawnee County on May 12, 2023, touching down at 4:33 PM CDT and reaching 80 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
May 12, 2023
Touchdown
4:33 PM CDT (21:33 UTC)
Lifted
4:41 PM CDT (21:41 UTC)
On the ground
8 minutes
Path length
3.0 miles (4.9 km)
Path width
80 yards (73 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Pawnee County
Touchdown point
40.120, -96.140
Lift-off point
40.150, -96.110
Record number
2305121533-01

The damage survey

4 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS OAX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 90 mph.

  • Open shelter collapsed. Windspeed estimated.
  • Bleachers damaged. Windspeed estimated.
  • Debris from tornado spotted.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

A strong low-pressure system which had been slowly moving east off the Rocky Mountains finally progressed into central Nebraska. This left eastern Nebraska in the warm sector as a warm front moved north into the area. The SPC issued an Enhanced Risk for severe weather with a 30% hatched for severe hail. There ended up being 19 confirmed tornadoes (3 EF2, 8 EF1, 4 EF0, 4 EFU). There were numerous hail reports the largest of which was 4.5 inches in Pawnee County. Another 4-inch report was received in Richardson County. Flash flooding was also observed in a few locations.

Tornado started on the northeast side of Pawnee City where the baseball fields sustained damage. The tornado continued northeast and destroyed a grain bin and ended in a field 1 1/2 miles southwest of Table Rock.

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

The warnings

7 minutes of warning. NWS OAX issued a tornado warning for this county at 21:26 UTC, 7 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 22:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:10 UTC and running to 23:37 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
18:10 UTC23:37 UTCTornado WatchOAX
21:03 UTC21:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAX
21:26 UTC22:15 UTCTornado WarningOAX
21:50 UTC22:30 UTCTornado WarningOAX
22:22 UTC22:33 UTCTornado WarningOAX
22:33 UTC00:23 UTCFlood AdvisoryOAX

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 Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 20:08 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.

Topeka, KS (KTOP), 12:00Z

9.6 hours before the tornado, 133 km from the path. May 12, 2023.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2023-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1260 joules per kilogram, CIN -82, lifted condensation level 781 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2023-05-12The 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 118 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 27 knots.193958Sfc1 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
1260 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-82 J/kg
Surface CAPE
148 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
781 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.1
0-3 km lapse rate
4.8 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Topeka, KS (KTOP), 00:00Z

2.4 hours after it, 133 km from the path. May 13, 2023.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2023-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 3056 joules per kilogram, CIN -10, lifted condensation level 1151 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2023-05-13The 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 153 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 44 knots.193958Sfc1 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
3056 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Surface CAPE
3760 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1151 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
248 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.6
Supercell composite
16.8
0-3 km lapse rate
7.8 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Falls City/Brenn (FNB), 46 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
19:35 UTC160° 11 kt171010.2
19:40 UTC170° 16 kt221010.2
19:45 UTC160° 15 kt1010.2
19:50 UTC170° 15 kt1010.2
19:53 UTC8467190° 16 kt251010.2
20:00 UTC160° 15 kt1010.2
20:05 UTC150° 15 kt221010.2
20:15 UTC160° 15 kt1009.8
20:20 UTC150° 17 kt1009.8
20:25 UTC150° 16 kt211009.8
20:30 UTC 1009.8
20:35 UTC 1009.5
20:40 UTC140° 13 kt1009.5
20:45 UTC 241009.5
20:50 UTC160° 17 kt221009.5
20:53 UTC8465160° 17 kt251009.5
20:55 UTC160° 16 kt211009.5
21:00 UTC150° 15 kt221009.5
21:05 UTC150° 17 kt221009.5
21:10 UTC160° 15 kt221009.1
21:20 UTC150° 16 kt231009.1
21:25 UTC 221009.1
21:30 UTC150° 14 kt1008.8
21:35 UTC150° 11 kt161008.8
21:40 UTC150° 11 kt161008.8
21:45 UTC150° 11 kt221008.8
21:50 UTC160° 15 kt1009.1
21:53 UTC8567160° 16 kt271009.1
21:55 UTC 231009.1
22:00 UTC160° 13 kt191008.8
22:05 UTC140° 15 kt1008.5
22:10 UTC140° 16 kt241008.8
22:15 UTC140° 15 kt221008.8
22:20 UTC140° 18 kt1009.1
22:27 UTC8468130° 14 kt251009.1VCTS
22:30 UTC 1008.8
22:35 UTC 211009.1
22:40 UTC140° 15 kt1009.1
22:42 UTC8267130° 12 kt261009.1
22:45 UTC130° 13 kt191008.8
22:53 UTC8367140° 14 kt271008.1
22:55 UTC 261008.5
23:00 UTC 221008.1
23:05 UTC 221008.1
23:15 UTC130° 11 kt181008.1
23:15 UTC8167130° 13 kt241008.1VCTS
23:20 UTC140° 13 kt181008.5
23:25 UTC140° 16 kt1008.8-RA
23:30 UTC140° 15 kt1008.8-RA

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

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:34 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
21:32 UTCTORNADO2 E Table RockPawnee, NEPUBLIC REPORT OF A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN.
21:33 UTCTORNADO1 Ne Pawnee CityPawnee, NETORNADO STARTED ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF PAWNEE CITY WHERE THE BASEBALL FIELDS SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST AND DESTROYED A GRAIN BIN AND ENDED IN A FIELD 1 1/2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TABLE ROCK WHERE IT
21:35 UTCTORNADO1 Ne Pawnee CityPawnee, NE
21:41 UTCTORNADO1 E Table RockPawnee, NEROPE TORNADO.
21:48 UTCTSTM WND DMGPawnee CityPawnee, NE4 INCH TREE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN.
21:52 UTCTORNADO2 S Table RockPawnee, NE
21:53 UTCHAIL 4.5Table RockPawnee, NEMULTIPLE PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
21:54 UTCHAIL 1.251 Sw Table RockPawnee, NEREPORT FROM MPING: HALF DOLLAR (1.25 IN.).
21:55 UTCHAIL 2.75Table RockPawnee, NE
22:09 UTCHAIL 2.753 E Table RockPawnee, NE
22:12 UTCHAIL 3.254 Wnw HumboldtPawnee, NEREPORT FROM MPING: BASEBALL+ (3.25 IN.).
22:15 UTCHAIL 24 Wnw HumboldtRichardson, NE
22:18 UTCHAIL 2.757 E Elk CreekNemaha, NE
22:20 UTCHAIL 43 N HumboldtRichardson, NEPICTURE FROM TWITTER. DELAYED REPORT.
22:50 UTCHAIL 0.753 Se CookJohnson, NEREPORT FROM MPING: DIME (0.75 IN.).
23:07 UTCHAIL 1.753 E AuburnNemaha, NE
23:32 UTCHAIL 1AuburnNemaha, NE
23:52 UTCHAIL 0.88PeruNemaha, NE
00:07 UTCFLASH FLOODAuburnNemaha, NECENTRAL AVENUE FLOODED CURB DEEP. FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
00:24 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD4 Wsw PrestonRichardson, NEROPE LIKE FUNNEL LASTED 3-5 MINUTRES.
00:24 UTCTORNADO4 Wsw PrestonRichardson, NECORRECTS PREVIOUS FUNNEL CLOUD REPORT FROM 4 WSW PRESTON. OBSERVED ROPE TORNADO APPROX 5 MI SOUTH FALLS CITY. LASTED 3-5 MINUTES.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2023 tornado in NebraskaEvery tornado in Nebraska since 1950Warnings in force in Nebraska nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 12, 2023

32 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 1212:34 PM CDTEF1Custer, NE4.0100
May 1212:39 PM CDTUnratedLogan, NE0.110
May 1212:42 PM CDTUnratedCuster, NE0.11
May 1212:47 PM CDTUnratedCuster, NE0.110
May 122:25 PM CDTEF1Greeley, NE13.6200$300,000
May 123:11 PM CDTEF1Wheeler, NE3.450
May 123:25 PM CDTUnratedWheeler, NE0.150
May 123:55 PM CDTUnratedPlatte, NE0.150
May 123:55 PM CDTEF2Wheeler, NE7.375
May 124:00 PM CDTUnratedCuster, NE0.110
May 124:09 PM CDTEF1Boone, NE1.3150
May 124:22 PM CDTUnratedMadison, NE0.150
May 124:53 PM CDTEF1Stanton, NE8.9200
May 125:01 PM CDTEF1Madison, NE3.150
May 125:15 PM CDTEF2Dodge, NE5.5800
May 125:17 PM CDTEF1Stanton, NE5.0150
May 125:34 PM CDTEF1Stanton, NE2.8200
May 125:39 PM CDTEF1Stanton, NE5.1300
May 125:42 PM CDTEF0Dodge, NE2.5300
May 125:46 PM CDTEF2Dodge, NE10.41,600
May 126:14 PM CDTEF1Burt, NE1.1100
May 126:14 PM CDTEF0Wayne, NE0.320
May 126:20 PM CDTEF2Burt, NE11.31,1502
May 126:34 PM CDTEF0Wayne, NE0.720
May 127:03 PM CDTEF2Brown, KS1.5500
May 127:11 PM CDTEF1Jackson, KS3.650
May 127:18 PM CDTEF0Brown, KS to NE2.350
May 127:23 PM CDTUnratedBurt, NE0.450
May 127:38 PM CDTUnratedJackson, KS0.010
May 127:43 PM CDTUnratedBurt, NE0.520
May 127:49 PM CDTUnratedJackson, KS0.010
May 128:06 PM CDTEF0Kay, OK0.310

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.