OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Baseball-sized hail is breaking windows and tearing the siding off homes in northeast Nebraska, and forecasters are warning residents across the nation’s midsection to brace for “life threatening” storms. The National Weather Service says at least three possible tornadoes were reported early Saturday in central Oklahoma, while hail and rain were pelting Nebraska by early afternoon. No injuries were immediately reported. But forecasters are expecting the most dangerous weather later in the day and are warning residents across the region of possible fast-moving overnight tornadoes. Officials say a large area spanning from Minnesota to Texas could be at risk. In Nebraska, Boone County Sheriff David Spiegel says large hail has damaged vehicles, shattered windows and ripped the siding off of houses in and around Petersburg, a town about 140 miles northwest of Omaha.

While no watches or warning are in effect for the KJAN listening area, the National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for much of Nebraska from Noon today until 7-p.m.   Stay tuned to KJAN.com for additional weather updates. Keep your radio or a Weather Alert radio handy today!

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/oax/

COUNTIES IN IA: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-

PAGE; COUNTIES IN NE: KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON- STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER- SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE- JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON-

1143 AM CDT SAT APR 14 2012 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/VALLEY, NE

THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT: THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA. THE MAIN THREAT FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFTER 3 PM AND BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON SATURDAY NIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE TORNADOES…VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS MORNING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP TO THE NORTH WITH INDIVIDUAL CELLS TRACKING NORTHEAST WITH LARGE HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT.

A MORE POTENT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS STILL EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AFTER THE INITIAL MORNING THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OUT OF THE AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FIRST EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS WARM AND MOIST AIR RETURNS TO THE AREA…THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE STRONGLY UNSTABLE…THIS ALONG WITH VERY STRONG WIND SHEAR WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER…INCLUDING VERY LARGE HAIL…DAMAGING WINDS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TORNADOES.

w/ Brett Johnson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report two Red Oak men have been arrested on drug charges, following the execution of search warrants at two locations in the community.The searches were the result of a two-month investigation into the alleged activities of 47-year old Dean Glen Heideman, and 55-year old Charles William Taylor, both of Red Oak.  A search residences located in the 200 block of North 7th Street, and the 2400 block of North 8th Street, resulted in the recovery of illegal drugs, and items related to the sale of illegal drugs, as well as firearms.

Heideman was charged with three counts of Delivery of Methamphetamine. Taylor was charged with three counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, two counts of delivery of methamphetamine, and one count of delivery of marijuana. Both men are being held at the Montgomery County Jail on $50,000 bond each.

A jury in Page County has convicted the former Mayor of Essex on sexual assault charges. 65-year old Charles Dean White faces up to 75-years in prison on his conviction of three-counts of 2nd degree sexual assault, and 10-years on a charge of lascivious acts with a child. After the verdict was handed down, Friday, White taken into custody by Page County Deputies. His sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place June 1st.

White served as the mayor in Essex from 1998 to 2002. Authorities said in April 2011, an investigation was conducted into allegations White committed sexual abuse against a 7-year old female, in March of that year. The case against him was prosecuted by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Page County Attorney’s Office. An investigation to the allegations against him was conducted by the Iowa DCI, Essex Police Department, Shenandoah Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Human Services.

COUNTIES IN IOWA: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE 615 PM CDT FRI APR 13 2012 National Weather Service/Valley, NE

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA…WEST CENTRAL IOWA…EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA…NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.

DAY ONE…TONIGHT:

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT OVER SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND FAR SOUTHERN SOUTHWEST IOWA. SEVERE WEATHER IS GENERALLY NOT EXPECTED WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY:

THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA ON SATURDAY. THE MAIN THREAT FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFTER 3 PM AND BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON SATURDAY NIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE TORNADOES…VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ON SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA THROUGH THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

A MORE POTENT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER THE INITIAL THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OUT OF THE AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FIRST EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS WARM AND MOIST AREA RETURNS TO THE AREA…THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE STRONGLY UNSTABLE…THIS ALONG WITH VERY STRONG SHEAR WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER…SOME SIGNIFICANT INCLUDING VERY LARGE HAIL…DAMAGING WINDS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TORNADOES.

SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT….BUT WILL BE NEEDED DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ON SATURDAY.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says having more space free in the Missouri River’s reservoirs would have reduced but not eliminated last year’s flooding.  The corps says in a new report released Friday that flooding still would have caused widespread damage along the Missouri last year because of the massive volume of water that moved through the river.  And any increase in the amount of flood storage space in the reservoirs would reduce the economic benefits the river offers through barge traffic, recreation and hydropower. The corps says increasing flood storage space in reservoirs is only one option to reduce flood risk. It says officials may need to consider increasing the capacity of the Missouri River channel and reducing development in the flood plain.

Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King, of Kiron, criticized the Corps’ reports, saying in a statement today (Friday) that their report is “incomplete.” King says “In an analysis that purports to analyze the impact of increased flood storage on other authorized purposes like navigation, hydropower generation, and recreation, there is no consideration of the benefits that additional flood protection would have had on these activities during last year’s historic flood. This is a significant hole in the Corp’s analysis.” 

He said “We know, for example, that last year’s flooding virtually shut down navigation on the River – yet the Corps’ analysis here give us no indication of how increased storage capacity might have helped to address this.” King went on to say “This report says, ‘Flood control is the only one of these authorized purposes that requires empty space in the reservoirs’ and that therefore the other purposes, ‘which all require water-in-storage to maximize benefits, would experience negative impacts with additional flood control storage.’ This premise is substantially flawed for a number of reasons.” According to King, “If 2011 taught us one thing, it’s that there is a point at which additional flood control benefits everyone on the river. There is no recognition of this basic fact in the report.”