Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, October 31, 2000

Name: Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, October 31, 2000
Start: 2000-10-31T17:55
End: 2000-10-31T18:30
Location: Nebraska

October 31, 2000 · NWS GID · 3 events in 1 county or zone

In a continuation of late season severe weather, a Halloween tornado moved across central and northern Dawson county and crossed into southern Custer county. Most of the tornadoes path was over open country, but one farmstead in northern Dawson county did receive extensive damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $135,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

In a continuation of late season severe weather, a Halloween tornado moved across central and northern Dawson county and crossed into southern Custer county. The tornado, which was spawned from a large supercell thunderstorm, was on the ground in Dawson county for about 14 miles and had a maximum width of 200 yards.Most of the tornadoes path was over open country, but one farmstead in northern Dawson county did receive extensive damage. Part of the roof of the house was blown away and a barn was flattened. Pivots and other outbuildings along the tornadoes path were also damaged. Prior to the tornado itself, the same thunderstorm produced hail which covered the ground white just east of Cozad. Minor street flooding was reported in Cozad as well.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dawson

When: October 31, 5:55 PM CST
Where: Dawson County, 2 mi E of Cozad
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 40.867, -99.933

Funnel Cloud, Dawson

When: October 31, 6:08 PM CST
Where: Dawson County, Darr
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.870, -99.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Dawson

When: October 31, 6:12 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where: Dawson County, 3 mi NE of Darr
Rating: F2
Path length: 14 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $125,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.850, -99.850

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Nebraska, 2000 Warnings in Nebraska, October 2000

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: 5157817, 5157818, 5157819.