Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 7 to 8, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 7 to 8, 1997
Start: 1997-07-07T17:45
End: 1997-07-08T00:15
Location: Nebraska

July 7 to 8, 1997 · NWS GID · 18 events in 9 counties and zones

Thunderstorms ripped across south central Nebraska dropping large hail, very heavy rain and producing high winds. Extensive crop damage was incurred from western Hall county into western Adams county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $570,000
Crop damage: $5.4 million
Events: 18

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Greeley

When: July 7, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Greeley County, 6 mi NE of Wolbach
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.470, -98.320

Hail, Nance

When: July 7, 6:25 PM CST to 6:40 PM CST
Where: Nance County, 13 mi W of Fullerton
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $1.0 million
Coordinates: 41.370, -98.230

Hail, Howard

When: July 7, 7:10 PM CST
Where: Howard County, Boelus
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Crop damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 41.080, -98.720

Hail, Hall

When: July 7, 7:23 PM CST
Where: Hall County, Cairo to 3 mi W of Cairo
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $1.5 million
Coordinates: 41.050, -98.600

Hail, Merrick

When: July 7, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Merrick County, 2 mi N of Palmer
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $700,000
Coordinates: 41.250, -98.250

Hail, Howard

When: July 7, 7:44 PM CST
Where: Howard County, St Libory
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Crop damage: $75,000
Coordinates: 41.080, -98.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Hall

When: July 7, 8:01 PM CST
Where: Hall County, 2 mi N of Grand Is
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 40.950, -98.350

Hail, Hall

When: July 7, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Hall County, Grand Is
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $150,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 40.920, -98.350

Hail, Buffalo

When: July 7, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Buffalo County, Shelton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $40,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 40.780, -98.730

Hail, Adams

When: July 7, 8:25 PM CST
Where: Adams County, 9 mi S of Hastings
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $200,000
Coordinates: 40.450, -98.380

Hail, Adams

When: July 7, 8:36 PM CST
Where: Adams County, 2 mi W of Prosser
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $200,000
Coordinates: 40.670, -98.600

Hail, Adams

When: July 7, 8:38 PM CST
Where: Adams County, Kenesaw
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: $200,000
Coordinates: 40.630, -98.650

The large hail broke the windshield of a fire truck.

Hail, Adams

When: July 7, 8:57 PM CST
Where: Adams County, Juniata
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.580, -98.520

Hail, Kearney

When: July 7, 9:49 PM CST
Where: Kearney County, 2 mi S of Minden
Measured: 2 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 40.470, -98.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Nuckolls

When: July 7, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Nuckolls County, Nelson
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Property damage: $75,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.200, -98.070

Hail, Adams

When: July 7, 11:16 PM CST
Where: Adams County, Kenesaw
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.630, -98.650

Hail, Adams

When: July 8, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Adams County, 7 mi SW of Holstein
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.400, -98.750

Hail, Kearney

When: July 8, 12:15 AM CST
Where: Kearney County, 9 mi SE of Norman
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 40.380, -98.670

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, July 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5615723, 5615724, 5615725, 5615726, 5615727, 5615728, 5615729, 5615730, 5615731, 5615732, 5615733, 5615734, 5615735, 5615736, 5615737, 5615738, 5615739, 5615740.