Storm Events Database

Event Details:

Event Tornado
-- Scale EF1
-- Length 6.14 Miles
-- Width 150 Yards
State NEBRASKA
County/Area FILLMORE
WFO GID
Report Source NWS Storm Survey
NCEI Data Source CSV
Begin Date 2014-05-11 15:40 CST-6
Begin Location 1NW FAIRMONT
Begin Lat/Lon 40.6424/-97.5922
End Date 2014-05-11 15:48 CST-6
End Location 2NW EXETER
End Lat/Lon 40.666/-97.4793
Deaths Direct/Indirect 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...)
Injuries Direct/Indirect 0/0
Property Damage 150.00K
Crop Damage 0.00K
Episode Narrative Multiple thunderstorms formed along and southeast of a line from Red Cloud to York on this Sunday afternoon. However, most of the severe weather was produced by a single supercell. This was the first and most intense storm of the day and it formed over Webster county around 2:30 p.m. CDT. This storm took full advantage of an extremely favorable environment, quickly becoming severe and producing at least one brief, weak tornado just southwest of Glenvil. The storm continued northeast producing several more tornadoes, two of which resulted in a maximum damage rating of EF-3. One of these tornadoes occurred over Clay and Fillmore counties and the other subsequently occurred over Fillmore and Seward counties. The first of these EF-3 tornadoes was on the ground for nearly 22 miles. Damage surveys, photos and video confirmed that this storm produced at least 6 other tornadoes, 3 rated EF-0, 2 rated EF-1 and 1 rated EF-2. One of the EF-1 tornadoes was anticyclonic and touched down just north of Fairmont. To the left of these tornadoes, severe hail was common. The largest hail observed was the size of tennis balls in Glenvil. Large swaths of damaging winds, from the rear flank downdraft, accompanied the tornadoes to their south and southeast. Tornado and wind damage was extensive to trees, power poles, farm buildings including grain bins, and a few homes. Over 200 irrigation pivots were overturned and/or twisted. Multiple farmsteads also endured damage, including the loss of a new machine shed. By 5:30 p.m., this storm had moved into eastern Nebraska. Other storms developed in its wake, but produced no severe weather.
A very long surface front extended from New England, through the Ohio Valley, across the Central Plains and into the Desert Southwest. Portions of this front were stationary while others were being modulated by several waves of low pressure. The front lifted northward to the Kansas-Nebraska border by daybreak. One low ejected out of Colorado and moved east along the front through northern Kansas during the day. This supercell formed just northeast of this low on the immediate cool side of the front. The upper-level flow featured an amplified western trough and eastern ridge. A closed low was at the base of the trough over the Four Corners region. These storms initiated with the aid of a shortwave trough that ejected into the Central Plains ahead of this low. A strong 100 knot jet streak was at the base of the trough at 300 mb, placing the Central Plains in the favorable left front quadrant. An expansive stratus cloud deck, on the cool side of the front, resulted in a substantial temperature gradient across the front, with afternoon temperatures in the 40s and 50s across much of Nebraska to the mid 80s and low 90s over northern Kansas. This resulted in a tight instability gradient with MLCAPE of 2000 J/kg right along the front. Winds were strong throughout the column. The ejecting low pressure center, combined with the front, resulted in significantly backed winds, enhancing low-level shear. 0-1 km SRH was roughly 300 m2/s2, with 0-3 km SRH 400-600 m2/s2. The environment was very favorable for severe storms and tornadoes.
Event Narrative This tornado traveled rural areas and was witnessed by several storm chasers and experienced meteorologists. Video evidence, eyewitness accounts, radar imagey and even some of the damage confirm this tornado rotated anti-cyclonically. Damage along the path of the tornado included a grain bin and an old outbuilding being pushed off of their foundations, along with a roof partially blown off of another outbuilding. Numerous irrigation pivots were overturned, and there was plenty of tree damage. There was a home with minor roof damage. The peak wind with this tornado was estimated to be 90 MPH.


    

Event Map:

Note: The tornado track is approximate based on the beginning (B) and ending (E) locations. The actual tornado path may differ from a straight line.
Measure
Leaflet | Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community


All events for this episode:

Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD
Totals: 0 0 27.585M 2.650M
YORK ARPT YORK CO. NE 05/10/2014 07:00 CST-6 Heavy Rain 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
ORLEANS HARLAN CO. NE 05/11/2014 02:45 CST-6 Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 50.00K 0.00K
JUNIATA ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 03:45 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 04:07 CST-6 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 04:56 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BRADSHAW YORK CO. NE 05/11/2014 07:00 CST-6 Heavy Rain 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
STOCKHAM HAMILTON CO. NE 05/11/2014 07:00 CST-6 Heavy Rain 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
AYR ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:10 CST-6 Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 50.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:17 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:19 CST-6 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:25 CST-6 Hail 2.00 in. 0 0 250.00K 0.00K
DEWEESE CLAY CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:26 CST-6 Tornado EF0 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:30 CST-6 Hail 1.75 in. 0 0 75.00K 750.00K
GLENVILLE CLAY CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:45 CST-6 Hail 2.50 in. 0 0 150.00K 1.500M
GLENVILLE CLAY CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:47 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 63 kts. MG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
FAIRFIELD CLAY CO. NE 05/11/2014 14:50 CST-6 Tornado EF3 0 0 12.500M 0.00K
STOCKHAM HAMILTON CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:05 CST-6 Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 25.00K 250.00K
GRAFTON FILLMORE CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:25 CST-6 Tornado EF3 0 0 1.500M 0.00K
GRAFTON FILLMORE CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:25 CST-6 Tornado EF2 0 0 3.500M 0.00K
GRAFTON FILLMORE CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:25 CST-6 Tornado EF0 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
AURORA HAMILTON CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:26 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HASTINGS ADAMS CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:29 CST-6 Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 50.00K 0.00K
BLADEN WEBSTER CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:35 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
FAIRMONT FILLMORE CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:40 CST-6 Tornado EF1 0 0 150.00K 0.00K
GILTNER HAMILTON CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:52 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
EXETER FILLMORE CO. NE 05/11/2014 15:57 CST-6 Tornado EF3 0 0 7.500M 0.00K
HENDERSON YORK CO. NE 05/11/2014 16:00 CST-6 Flash Flood 0 0 200.00K 0.00K
MC COOL JCT YORK CO. NE 05/11/2014 16:00 CST-6 Tornado EF3 0 0 1.500M 0.00K
AURORA HAMILTON CO. NE 05/11/2014 16:03 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MC COOL JCT YORK CO. NE 05/11/2014 16:04 CST-6 Tornado EF0 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
STOCKHAM HAMILTON CO. NE 05/11/2014 16:32 CST-6 Hail 1.50 in. 0 0 25.00K 150.00K
MC COOL JCT YORK CO. NE 05/11/2014 16:58 CST-6 Tornado EF1 0 0 60.00K 0.00K
Totals: 0 0 27.585M 2.650M