An area of thunderstorms, a few severe, rolled out of northern Kansas and into southeast Nebraska during the late evening hours of May 23rd and the early morning hours of May 24th.  The storms produced strong winds with scattered areas of damage and were fed by a strong low-level jet advecting moisture northward.  Ahead of the severe thunderstorms in southeast Nebraska, heavy rain producing thunderstorms, with isolated embedded severe thunderstorms, caused flash flooding near Platte Center, which is just northwest of Columbus, and wind damage in the Norfolk area.  In addition, indirectly related to the thunderstorms, an area of strong winds of 50 to 60 mph developed in the wake of the thunderstorms.  These winds produced areas of scattered damage, mainly in Lancaster county Nebraska in the middle of the night and in Page county Iowa between about 730 and 830 am.

Thunderstorm Wind in SALINE, NEBRASKA
From 24-MAY-08 01:10:00 to 24-MAY-08 01:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: SWANTON
Magnitude: 55.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 to 70 mph caused some tree damage in Swanton.

Flash Flood in PLATTE, NEBRASKA
From 24-MAY-08 01:50:00 to 24-MAY-08 03:15:00 (CST-6)
Location: PLATTE CENTER
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.20K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Heavy rain caused water to flow over a few roads in the Platte Center area with mud and other debris on the road.  The flooding was along Shell Creek tributaries and subsided after a short time.

Thunderstorm Wind in SALINE, NEBRASKA
From 24-MAY-08 01:20:00 to 24-MAY-08 01:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: WILBER
Magnitude: 55.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 to 70 mph broke large tree limbs in town and damaged several rural outbuildings.

Thunderstorm Wind in JEFFERSON, NEBRASKA
From 24-MAY-08 00:50:00 to 24-MAY-08 00:50:00 (CST-6)
Location: FAIRBURY
Magnitude: 55.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The emergency manager of Jefferson county reported that a thunderstorm wind gust of 63 mph was recorded by a weather station near town.

Lightning in OTOE, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAY-08 03:00:00 to 23-MAY-08 03:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: NEBRASKA CITY
Property damage: 80.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

A lightning strike started a fire that caused an estimated $80,000 damage to a home in Nebraska City.

Thunderstorm Wind in SALINE, NEBRASKA
From 24-MAY-08 01:10:00 to 24-MAY-08 01:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: DE WITT
Magnitude: 55.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 to 70 mph caused some tree damage in De Witt.

Thunderstorm Wind in MADISON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAY-08 00:30:00 to 23-MAY-08 00:45:00 (CST-6)
Location: MADISON
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at close to 60 mph caused damage in the Norfolk area due to uprooted trees which damaged several homes and vehicles. A few trees and large limbs were also downed in the Madison area to the south of Norfolk.  Wet ground due to heavy rain over the few days prior to this event may have contributed to how easily the trees were uprooted.

High Wind in LANCASTER, NEBRASKA
From 24-MAY-08 01:10:00 to 24-MAY-08 02:10:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

Winds estimated to gust as high as 60 mph occurred over much of Lincoln for a 30 to 60 minute period during the early morning hours of May 24th.  The high winds were in the wake of a thunderstorm complex that tracked south through southeast of the area and were strongest as the storms passed farther from the region.  The strong winds downed large tree limbs and knocked down a few trees in town causing areas of power outages.  LES reported that 2,500 customers were still without power the next day.