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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Omaha, Nebraska, has broken a slew of severe weather records so far this year, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have revealed, and one official told *Newsweek: "*It's a luck of the draw thing."
Severe weather has produced many strong storms across the nation so far this year. Earlier this month, meteorologists in Oklahoma revealed their region alone had experienced 100 confirmed tornadoes, nearly twice the annual average.
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Most recently in Nebraska, severe storms battered the region with huge hail stones.
NWS Omaha shared the concerning statistics in a graphic on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday night. "No. This is not typical," the office wrote on the post.
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According to the graphic, Omaha has broken three severe weather records so far in 2024. The office has issued 118 tornado warnings, already the most in one year. On April 26, it issued 42 tornado alerts, the most in one day. And 70 tornadoes have been confirmed, the most in one year.
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NWS meteorologist Clint Aegerter told Newsweek that the office isn't just breaking records but shattering them. Previously, the most tornado warnings issued in one year in Omaha was 87 in 2004. The previous record for the most tornado warnings issued in one day was 33 on May 12, 2023, and the previous record for the most confirmed tornadoes in one year was 41 in 2008.
"It's a luck of the draw thing," Aegerter said on why the region has experienced so much severe weather. "The pattern is set up where we have a lot more thunderstorms just in general. It's been a busy year."
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The office has nearly broken several other records, including issuing 51 severe storm warnings on June 25, the second most in one day. On that same day, hailstone reports from Bellevue, Nebraska, revealed that a hailstone reached a diameter of 4.5 inches, which is tied for the largest in Omaha metro history. So far this month, the office has issued 303 severe storm warnings, making it the second most through June.
Aegerter said it's almost certain that the office will issue more tornado warnings as the year progresses. Tornado season peaks in June for the Omaha region, but tornadoes in the fall and winter aren't unheard of.
Omaha experienced a break in the severe weather throughout the middle of this week, but meteorologists anticipate that severe thunderstorms will return on Thursday and Friday. As of Thursday afternoon, there were no severe weather alerts or warnings in place in Nebraska.
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