RED CLOUD — Straight line wind damage occurred in the Red Cloud area after a complex of thunderstorms rolled through south central Nebraska during the overnight hours of Wednesday, May 1 and Thursday, May 2.
The line of thunderstorms developed after dark and began pushing from the west to the east, passing through central Nebraska around midnight.
A bow echo formed as the storm complex moved through Webster County, according to Jeremy Wesley, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service – Hastings.
The term “bow echo” is based on how bands of rain showers or thunderstorms “bow out” when the storm’s strong winds reach the surface and spread horizontally, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA).
The “bow shaped” echo is a result of focusing of the strong flow at the rear of the system. A bow echo feature can produce severe straight-line winds and cause damage.
Wesely said there were reports of 65 mph winds in the Red Cloud area which caused damage to tree limbs and power outages. The storm damage was enough throughout town that Red Cloud Community Schools called off class on Thursday.
Some of the highest measured winds came from the Kansas counties NWS Hastings is responsible for. There was a report of 83 mph at Plainville, Kan.,79 mph at the Smith Center, Kan., airport, 68 mph near Phillipsburg and 61 mph near Jewell, Kan.
There was a 59 mph wind gust in Huntley and 54 mph at Wolbach were reported in Nebraska.