Forecasters: Lull in severe weather this spring not unusual

Other than a few thunderstorms and some spotty hail and strong winds, severe weather has been rare in southeast Nebraska so far this year.

Certainly, there's been no dangerous outbreak like the massive tornado that ripped through two Illinois towns Thursday and killed at least two people.

"We don't look for tornadoes to frequently occur until the months of May and June, our peak season for tornadoes (in Nebraska)," said Ken Dewey, professor of applied science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Last year, twin twisters killed two people and destroyed most of Pilger in northeast Nebraska June 16.

That was the biggest severe weather event to hit the state last year, when Nebraska recorded 63 tornadoes, the most since 2004.

"Oklahoma had only 14," Dewey said. "Normally, they are the tornado capital of the U.S."

A lingering, record-breaking drought kept tornado activity relatively low there and in Texas and other southern states last year.

"The northern edge of Tornado Alley had the most because we had moisture and we had storms," Dewey said.

March tornadoes are rare in Nebraska, but they do happen. On March 23, 1913, an Easter Sunday, seven tornadoes hit Omaha and several smaller towns. Hundreds were killed, injured or left homeless.

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