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       Mead/Wahoo Nebraska June 9, 199983kb
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Mead/Wahoo Nebraska June 9, 1999

     From our position south of Cedar Bluffs, we observed this storm developing on the horizon, which was later determined by radar to be in York county. We headed south on highway 109 from Cedar Bluffs as the storm crossed from Butler into Saunders county and decided to take up position west of Colon.
     The supercell emerged from a dissipating rainband on its eastern edge revealing a well-defined rotating base, which is a common trademark. After observing the storm for about 20 minutes, we made the decision to move parallel to it by heading north on county road 17. Another trademark of a supercell is its ability to spawn weak tornadoes anywhere within its base, most of which are UNDETECTABLE BY RADAR. As we traveled north, an example of this type of tornado occurred about 150 yards to our west in a cornfield, but lasted only half a minute. The best was yet to come.
     By the time we had reached Cedar Bluffs, the edge of the storm had overtaken us. We proceeded to head east on 109 then south on highway 77 during which time many funnels dipped in and out of the clouds. Within 5 minutes we were again on the front edge of the storm and looking west-southwest. Upon pulling off on the roadside, we watched a tornado form from the ground up about a mile south of our position. Based on our video tape, the tornado was on the ground at least 7 minutes at which point it disappeared behind a rainshaft. To the best of our knowledge this tornado went UNNOTICED BY RADAR, SPOTTERS, AND CIVILIANS. We finished this chase with some spectacular lightning footage shot between Elkhorn and Fremont which lasted about an hour.
     If anything, this storm serves as a strong reminder why self-awareness during a potentially dangerous thunderstorm is the most important warning system!