Tornado and Hail in Kansas, June 29, 2000

A ferocious severe thunderstorm moved south from Nebraska and battered a section of north-central Kansas with high winds and hail. Phillips and Rooks counties took the brunt of this mid-evening storm as losses in these two counties alone totaled in the millions. The Long Island area of northern Phillips county sustained the most damage. Winds of 100 mph hammered the area around 7 pm and hail covered the ground like snow. Over 300 windows in this small town were broken and nearly every home in the town sustained some damage to windows, siding or the roof. One person was injured as she and her family tried to run for cover from the storm. The wind blew her across the kitchen of her home and into the dining room. She sustained head, neck and leg injuries and was transferred to a hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. The local grain company had seven grain bins and two unloading facilities demolished. About 1200 customers lost power during the storm. Wind gusts to 80 mph and hail the size of quarters were also reported in Agra and Logan.As the storm moved south into Rooks county, it spawned a brief tornado north of Webster Lake. The funnel set down about 1 mile north of the reservoir but did little if any damage. Just days earlier, outdoor warning devices were installed at the lake area and they were put into use to alert the public on this day. Eighty mile an hour winds were common in Rooks county and resulted in up-rooted trees, downed power lines, roof and building damage. One truck was overturned on Highway 24 but the driver was uninjured.Crop damage was limited to the remaining wheat crop and some corn. Fortunately, about 80 percent of the wheat crop had been harvested prior to the storm.