Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, October 31, 2000

A tornado touched down 1 mile west of Hamlet and was intermittently on the ground to 9 miles north of Hamlet. As the tornado moved into Stinking Water Creek bottom 4 miles north northwest of Hamlet a garage was destroyed and several farm outbuilding were damaged. Large cottonwood and evergreen trees were uprooted or snapped off. The tornado then struck a farm 9 miles north of Hamlet destroying a calf shed and doing extensive tree damage before lifting.

The tornado touched down 10 miles south southwest of Eustis damaging some trees. The tornado moved north northeast and was intermittently on the ground to 1 mile south of Eustis. Six miles south southwest of Eustis a farm received extensive damage with a barn destroyed and several outbuildings damaged along with damage to fences, machinery and corrals. This is the same farm that was struck two days earlier. Five miles south southwest of Eustis a farm was narrowly missed with damage to irrigation pipes and trees. The tornado then struck a farm 1 mile south of Eustis damaging several outbuildings.

The tornado moved out of Dawson county into south central Custer county 7 miles south southwest of Oconto. The tornado traveled across open rangeland until destroying a modular home 1 mile south of Oconto. The tornado then moved directly through the small community of Oconto producing extensive damage. Every building along main street was either damaged or destroyed. A community center was destroyed while 19 children and 4 adults were in the basement. Over half the homes in the small town suffered minor to major damage. The community was declared a disaster areas by the governor. The tornado knocked down a power line 2 miles north of Oconto before lifting.

The tornado touched down 7 miles southeast of Broken Bow and traveled 12 miles north northeast across farm and rangeland. Initial damage occurred at touchdown with a modular home destroyed. Then over the next 2 miles 3 farmsteads were struck. The first suffered heavy damage to all buildings including the house. At the second farmstead a modular home and several buildings were completely destroyed. The third farmstead suffered extensive damage to the outbuildings and minor damage to the house. The tornado then moved across highway 2 and destroyed several farm building 4 miles east of Broken Bow. Then as the tornado moved across highway 70 another farmstead was struck with several outbuildings destroyed and the house damaged. The tornado remained on the the ground and destroyed a barn 5 miles northeast of Broken Bow, then did extensive damage to a farmstead 7 miles northeast of Broken Bow where several outbuildings were destroyed or damaged and damaged the house. Tree damage was extensive along the entire path and several center pivot irrigation systems were destroyed. The tornado lifted 7 miles northeast of Broken Bow.

The tornado touched down 2 miles west of Sargent with damage to a farm building and center pivot irrigation system. The tornado moved north northeast with several power poles broken off and minor damage produced at a farm 2 miles northwest of Sargent. The tornado then moved across open country until destroying a communication tower and several power poles 5 miles north of Sargent. A farm building was then damaged 6 miles north of Sargent before the tornado moved into southeast Loup county.

The tornado was on the ground as it moved into Loup county 2 miles southeast of Taylor. The tornado moved north northeast reaching a ranch 1 mile southeast of Taylor where several buildings were damaged. Then 2 outbuildings were destroyed at a farmstead 3 miles north northeast of Taylor with several buildings damaged including the home. There was also extensive damage to machinery, fences and power poles. As the tornado remained on the ground a farm building was damaged and pickup truck overturned 4 miles north northeast of Taylor before the tornado lifted.