Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 28 to 29, 1998

Severe thunderstorms roared across south-central Nebraska just after midnight CDT downing power lines, damaging buildings and over turning irrigation center pivots. The storms slipped southeast through Bertrand at 12:45 am CDT knocking power out to a portion of the town. As the thunderstorms moved southeast, they intensified and eventually produced 60 to 80 mph winds in a 20 mile wide swath from 20 miles southwest of Hastings to 30 miles southeast of York.The damage began near Bladen as 20 pivots were upset in northern Webster county. The most extensive damage was reported from southern Clay and northern Thayer counties. In Glenvil, large trees were uprooted and grain bins blown apart. At Carlton, eight large grain bins were destroyed and a grain dryer overturned. In Davenport, windows were blown out of homes by the wind. Some homes and most out buildings in the high wind corridor sustained minor damage as well. In all it was estimated 75 to 100 center pivots were overturned by the wind. Portions of northern Thayer county were without power for 12 hours.