Storm Pounds Metro

KETV (Cox Channel 9), KMTV (Cox Channel 5) and KPTM (Cox Channel 10) interrupted regular programming to provide extensive coverage of the powerful thunderstorm that made its way through the Omaha metropolitan area Thursday afternoon.

KMTV Chief Meteorologist Ryan McPike was first to begin special storm coverage, followed by KETV Chief Meteorologist Bill Randby about five minutes later. KPTM meteorologist Tyson Pearsall also broke in for several segments several times between 3:15 and 4:15 p.m.

WOWT (Cox Channel 8) Chief Meteorologist Jim Flowers briefly interrupted "Ellen" about 10 minutes after KETV and KMTV began their special storm coverage and a few minutes after KPTM. Later, WOWT began its 4 p.m. newscast with a weather segment by meteorologist Jeff Jensen but then continued with its standard newscast format.

KETV provided continuous coverage for more than 75 minutes, tracking the storm as it made its way into Southwest Iowa and Lincoln. Viewers were returned to regular programming about 4:40 p.m. KMTV signed off from its wall-to-wall coverage about a half-hour earlier, following nearly an hour of continuous coverage.


KETV's camera shows darkness covering Downtown Omaha.

Radar image courtesy KPTM.

Radar image courtesy WOWT.

Radar image courtesy KMTV.

Radar image courtesy KETV.