A powerful weather system moving across the Central United States is bringing an elevated threat of severe storms to eastern Nebraska and western Iowa on Thursday. The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an Enhanced Risk for the region, warning of large hail , damaging winds and the possibility of isolated tornadoes.
Why It Matters
While other areas in the Midwest also face some severe weather potential, the immediate focus remains on communities stretching from Norfolk, Nebraska, to Sac City, Iowa. With hail potentially as large as baseballs and damaging winds up to 60 mph, the storms carry the potential to impact homes, infrastructure, and travel.
What to Know
According to the NWS, thunderstorms are likely to develop late Thursday afternoon and persist into the evening, especially between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. The agency warned of a “15–45% chance of severe storms,” noting that “the primary threat will be large hail, but a few damaging wind gusts are also possible and a tornado cannot be ruled out.”
KCAU 9 in Sioux City reported that a cold front stretching from Norfolk to Vermillion is likely to trigger the storms, with severe activity expected to reach the US-75 corridor by around 6 to 7 p.m. and western Iowa by 8 to 9 p.m. The station reported that “hail could do significant damage to siding, windows, cars, and roofs, as well as could also lead to power outages as a result.”
As of Thursday afternoon, no severe weather alerts have been issued for the impacted region. However, a hazardous weather outlook posted by numerous NWS offices in Nebraska warned of incoming thunderstorms…