TempestTours®  SCE

This was a fabulously photogenic tornado, and we had no precipitation or winds to hassle us.  Precipitation curtains were near the tornado, but contrast remained good until it drifted to our north.  Rain wrapped in front of it and the tornado disappeared.  We went north to get closer, but found some downed power lines across the road after going four miles.  Trees were shredded to our northwest here, and the town of Seward was only a couple of miles to the WNW.  Seward was very lucky on Wednesday, as apparently the tornado skirted by just to its south.  The cell continued to the northeast and we could see some funnels and lowerings.  If there was a tornado wrapped inside of the rain....we could not tell!  The tornado event occurred between about 8:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Aside from the tornado, the storm seemed rather well-behaved.  We had some decent inflow winds near Milford, but were never hit with any RFD winds of any consequence.  There was not much lightning with the storm, especially while the tornado was on the ground.   The storm weakened as it approached Lincoln, where we stopped for the night.  A fantastic display of spider and crawler lightning entertained our tired and delighted tourists during the evening at Lincoln. 

The Seward tornado was mostly over open country and farmland, but it did demolish one house.  The entire structure was swept off of the foundation, and the tornado was rated a  low-end F4.  For more information on the Seward tornado, see the Omaha/Valley NWS web site.

Photo copyright Dean Cosgrove.