Thunderstorm Wind — Johnson, Nebraska

2025-09-17 · near Tecumseh, Johnson, Nebraska

Event narrative

Delayed report from emergency management of a 2 foot diameter tree down, stop sign blown over, outdoor awning thrown over fence, and various other smaller branches down within an approximately 1 block radius of the Tecumseh post office. Time estimated from radar.

Wider weather episode

On the evening of September 16, 2025, scattered thunderstorms initiated across east-central Nebraska, forced by mid-to-upper-level low-pressure system pivoting into the region. Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) values were plentiful, estimated between 2500 and 3500 J/kg. However, weak effective shear, estimated near 10 knots, limited storm organization, resulting in a pulse-like convective mode throughout the evening.

Initial storm activity produced minor hail reports: penny-sized hail was reported south of Wahoo, Nebraska, at 6:58 PM CST and southwest of Columbus, Nebraska, at 9:13 PM CST.

Into the early overnight hours of September 17, 2025, a separate thunderstorm tracked over Tecumseh, Nebraska, resulting in a narrow swath of wind damage. Emergency management reported several incidents within an approximately one-block radius of the Tecumseh post office, including a two-foot diameter downed tree, a blown-over stop sign, an outdoor awning thrown over a fence, and various smaller downed branches. Radar data estimated the timing of this damage around 3:30 AM CST with wind speeds estimated up to 70 mph.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (40.3700, -96.1900)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1294732. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.