EF0 tornado in Kearney County, Nebraska

A local resident reported damage to an irrigation pivot and soybean field north of Axtell. Subsequent radar review showed a circulation in the same area and time as the report, supporting a tornado. The location of the path was estimated based upon radar and the local resident report. The tornado was rated an EF0 with peak winds estimated to be 80 MPH based upon damage described to the pivot.

Extensive line of thunderstorms brings broad swaths of damaging winds, along with a few tornadoes, to portions of south central Nebraska during the late evening hours of May 23rd into the early morning hours of May 24th. A cold front associated with a closed upper low pressure over the Dakotas sparked a line of thunderstorms to develop during the late afternoon hours from central SD into the NE Panhandle. This activity, fueled by strong instability (MLCAPE 1500-3000 J/kg) and deep layer shear, become intense and organized prior to moving into far W portions of the GID CWA around 10pm CDT. The line continued to strengthen and organize as it shifted eastward into deeper low level moisture and, in turn, began to produce occasional QLCS tornadoes. The line impacted the Tri-Cities shortly after midnight. Of the Tri-Cities, Hastings was by far the most severely impacted, with several reports of wind gusts around 60 MPH and extensive tree damage in and around town. An 85 MPH wind gust was measured just west of Hastings in the Heartwell area. As storms continued eastward during the early morning hours of the 24th, damaging wind remained the primary threat. The strongest and most concentrated area of wind reports occurred roughly along the Highway 74 corridor in Clay and Fillmore Counties. Here, a 75 MPH gust was measured by a mesonet just E of Edgar. The severe portion of the line exited eastern portions of the forecast area by 2AM on the 24th. In total, there were 5 confirmed tornadoes from this event, all of which were of the weak and QLCS variety. The most impactful tornado, and the only one to hit a population center, was in Holdrege, but even this damage was fairly minor and rated as an EF1.