Omaha Tornado Chaser: Millard Tornado 6/8/08

This wasn't an actual "chase" for me as it literally happened in my own backyard. When I was maybe 10 years old or so, there was a tornado that actually touched down in Pierre, SD where i lived at the time. That was the last time a tornado touched down in a town i lived in until this event. The main severe weather event was expected to occur during the day of June 7th when there was a moderate risk most of the day and a tornado watch was issued at 430 pm. Nothing really materialized despite the attempts of the many cumulus clouds that filled the sky early in the evening.

towering cumulus trying to develop around 6pm

more towers going up

After nothing really got going all evening, storms developed out in western and central nebraska and began moving east across the state. The SPC changed the tornado watch to a severe thunderstorm watch at midnight. I was up late watching the storms move across the state and right as they got to western douglas county, they weakened and the warnings were discontinued. It was after 2 am so i went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. A few minutes later i was brushing my teeth and the lights in the bathroom were flickering. i figured it was just the storm blowing through with some gusty winds and didn't think anything of it. As soon as i walked out of the bathroom though i could hear the intense roaring of the winds and my weather radio was going off. i immediately ran over to the back windows to see what was going on. There was intense rain and winds that i estimated at 70+ mph. i grabbed my video camera and went down to the front door. What i'll always remember is that everytime the lightning would flash it was eerily green outside. About 5 minutes after the radio went off for the severe tstorm warning, it went off again this time for a tornado warning. I called sarah who was over at her sisters dog sitting to tell her to get in the basement and then i turned to the local tv station to see what was going on. they began to come in with reports of damage in the millard area, which is where i live. soon there was reports of an actual sighting of a tornado or funnel in the area as well. After the storm passed i went to bed. The next day sarah and i went out to take some pics and video. most of it ended up being video so there wasn't many pics that i could include. the biggest area of damage was blocked off so we couldn't get any pics from there. the day after the nws came out with their damage survey and path. the path literally went within a couple of blocks of us just on the east side of 132nd street! what was also "disturbing" was that the tornado was on the ground almost 10 minutes before a tornado warning was issued. a severe tstorm warning was first issued for the storm. then a couple of days later they came out with an updated report that said there was a 2nd tornado that moved across the area. this tornado literally went over the top of our house!!!! it then met up with the other tornado a couple of blocks away from our house!! so while i was looking out the front door, a tornado passed right over the top of me!! scary!!!! i've included the links of the surveys(you might have to scroll down a bit to see the info on the links):
1st survey:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=oax&storyid=14378&source=2

2nd survey:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=oax&storyid=14377&source=2