Text Products for PNS Issued by OAX

Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Omaha/Valley, NE
Versions: 1 2 3 4

000
NOUS43 KOAX 172002
PNSOAX
IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-180815-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
302 PM CDT Wed Apr 17 2024

...NWS Damage Survey for 4/16/2024 Tornado Event...

..Platte Center/Tarnov Area Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    60 mph
Path Length /statute/:  8.44 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   50 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             04/16/2024
Start Time:             11:35 AM CDT
Start Location:         4 WSW Platte Center / Platte County / NE
Start Lat/Lon:          41.5133 / -97.5511

End Date:               04/16/2024
End Time:               11:51 AM CDT
End Location:           2 E Tarnov / Platte County / NE
End Lat/Lon:            41.6179 / -97.4668

Survey Summary:
This tornado track is based entirely off of eyewitness reports as
there was no damage indicated along the entirety of the
intermittent track. Emergency management, storm spotters, and
video evidence indicate that the tornado began approximately
3 miles southwest of Platte Center. it moved northeast where it
crossed the Central Highway road a half mile east of 325th
avenue. From that point on, it became more intermittent,
occasionally kicking up dust at the ground underneath the
persistent funnel cloud. There were times, especially during the
intermittent phase, when the ground level circulation went
through center pivot irrigation systems without tipping them
over, which has stood as the basis for rating this as an EF-
0 tornado. Video evidence suggests that it was approximately
50 yards wide at its maximum width.



..Creston Area Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    83 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.91 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   30 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             04/16/2024
Start Time:             12:37 PM CDT
Start Location:         2 SSW Creston / Platte County / NE
Start Lat/Lon:          41.6756 / -97.3704

End Date:               04/16/2024
End Time:               12:42 PM CDT
End Location:           1 SE Creston / Platte County / NE
End Lat/Lon:            41.7004 / -97.3546

Survey Summary:
A tornado began just west of 190th avenue and about a half mile
north of 445th street where it flipped a cattle shed. The tornado
then tracked toward the northwest, where it impacted another
farm, flipping over a small outbuilding and removing roofing
material of another outbuilding. A large cedar tree was also
split down the middle. From this point, the tornado tracked north
and then eventually east. Another farm was impacted near 190th
avenue and 475th street where a detached garage had the roof
removed and walls collapsed. Another cattle shed was overturned
near the end point of the tornado near 475th street and 182nd
avenue. There were several videos of this tornado which indicate
an interesting evolution. It seemed to begin as the parent storm
ingested rotation from a weak frontal boundary extending
southeast of the storm, then pulled the tornado northwest closer
to the storm updraft, and then eventually it turned to move
northeast in the same direction as the storm and eventually
pushed a bit more toward the east as a cool gust pushed out and
dissipated the tornado. While the funnel cloud was rather wide at
times, the actual contact with the ground was quite narrow, as
evidenced by the narrow damage track.



..Howells Area Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    75 mph
Path Length /statute/:  5.21 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   40 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             04/16/2024
Start Time:             01:39 PM CDT
Start Location:         7 SSW Howells / Colfax County / NE
Start Lat/Lon:          41.6196 / -97.0413

End Date:               04/16/2024
End Time:               01:49 PM CDT
End Location:           5 SSE Howells / Colfax County / NE
End Lat/Lon:            41.6576 / -96.9575

Survey Summary:
Detailed reports from a combination of emergency management,
eyewitnesses, and video evidence from storm spotters indicates
this as the path of the tornado. Eyewitness accounts indicate
that the final 1.5 miles of the track were intermittent, with
occasional debris and dust at the ground level. These reports
also indicate that the tornado began at 1:39 PM and lasted for
approximately 10 minutes, which aligns well with the storm
motion. There were at least 2 center pivots damaged along the
track, and some minor damage to small outbuildings where tin
roofing material was removed. These damage indicators and the
degree of damage indicate that the tornado was an EF-0 with
maximum winds of approximately 75 mph. Video evidence of the dust
field suggests a width of approximately 40  yards.



&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0...Weak......65 to 85 mph
EF1...Weak......86 to 110 mph
EF2...Strong....111 to 135 mph
EF3...Strong....136 to 165 mph
EF4...Violent...166 to 200 mph
EF5...Violent...>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
