Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Nebraska, June 27, 1999

Widespread wind damage occurred during the predawn hours of June 27 as a line of severe thunderstorms packing winds up to 80 mph roared across south-central Nebraska. The hardest hit areas were Furnas, Harlan and Kearney counties. In Furnas county, trees were uprooted and 12 inch tree limbs snapped. Windows were blown out and a horse trailer moved 20 feet by the wind. Damage to grain bins and outbuildings was extensive. In Harlan county, ten center irrigation pivots were lost and 5 to 10 percent of the corn and soybean crop suffered "green snap" damage from the wind. A portion of the roof was torn from a home near Stamford and numerous trees were uprooted in the area. Finally in Kearney county, the funeral home in Wilcox lost its roof in the wind. The interior was badly damaged as well. Quite a few grain bins were lost in southern Kearney county along with about a dozen center pivots. In all, 100 to 150 power poles were snapped in the three county area. Power was out for several hours in many areas.Elsewhere, damage was less extensive but still widespread to trees and some small buildings. In Blue Hill, lightning struck a home and nearly burned it to the ground. The occupants were able to escape without injury. Power poles were snapped near Clay Center and a portion of a roof was ripped from a barn on a farm near Edgar. Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches forced water over low lying areas and temporarily flooded the streets of Kearney. Just east of Kearney, a wind gust blew over two semi tractor trailers on Interstate 80. Damage to the trucks was extensive but no injuries resulted.