Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, September 13, 2010

The ground was covered white with hail up to half dollar-size.

Golf ball-size hail was reported in the Wilber area.

Hail up to nickel-size was accompanied by thunderstorm winds which were estimated at around 65 mph.

Emergency management estimated that thunderstorm winds gusted to 65 mph a little west of the Fairbury area. The winds were accompanied by dime to nickel-size hail.

A small, brief tornado was observed by emergency management about 1 mile south of Thompson or about 5 miles or so southwest of Fairbury. The width of the damage path was about 50 yards and the length was about 1/4 mile. Damage was mainly to crops.

Hail up to 2 inches in diameter was reported from around 5 miles north of Wahoo into Wahoo. The hail was accompanied by thunderstorm winds at least 50 mph which downed some small tree limbs in Wahoo.

Hail up to baseball-size caused significant house and vehicle damage in the Ithaca area. The hail was accompanied by winds that gusted to at least 50 mph. By some accounts the hail lasted up to 45 minutes. Almost every house in town had siding damage and/or windows broken out, mainly on the north side of the house. Vehicles also sustained damage as did trees and other structures. Some crops east of town were shredded to the ground.

Hail up to 1 inch in diameter covered the ground up to a depth of 8 inches south of Fairbury.

Thunderstorm winds and hail up to 2 inches in diameter caused substantial damage to the University of Nebraska agricultural research center. Winds were estimated to have gusted between 70 and 80 mph. Damage estimates to the center included $800,000 in crop damage, $500,000 in building damage and $250,000 in vehicle damage. Thirty-seven buildings had broken windows, siding and/or roof damage. Several horses were injured and had to be euthanized when the open-front portable building they were in was toppled.

Thunderstorm winds and hail up to 2 inches in diameter caused substantial damage to the University of Nebraska agricultural research center. Winds were estimated to have gusted between 70 and 80 mph. Damage estimates to the center included $800,000 in crop damage, $500,000 in building damage and $250,000 in vehicle damage. Thirty-seven buildings had broken windows, siding and/or roof damage and several horses were injured and had to be euthanized when the open-front portable building they were in was toppled.

A spotter with an anemometer measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 76 mph a little west of Ashland. The winds caused major damage to at least one roof in or near Ashland with numerous large tree limbs and a few trees downed from southwest of town into town. The fallen trees damaged several houses and vehicles in the area.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 80 to 90 mph tore the roof off of a motel near the Greenwood exchange on Interstate 80 exposing 23 rooms. The winds also blew several semi-trucks off of Interstate 80 in the region prompting a partial closure. Tree and other damage was noted in the area.

Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured at 58 mph by the Asos at the Lincoln airport, although winds could have gusted higher across the city. The wind gust measured by Asos occurred at 538pm CDT. The winds downed numerous trees and large branches which caused some vehicle and home damage and also knocked out power to 10,000 LES customers. Most of the damage was noted across the northern sections of the town where 9 out of 12 areas of damage occurred according to LES. In addition, 2 people sustained minor injuries when the car they were driving collided with a fallen tree near 30th and Dudley Streets. The damage extended south to at least 5 miles south of town where a fence was blown down and a lot of 2 inch in diameter tree limbs were downed.

Hail up to half dollar-size was reported from around 4 miles west of Fairbury into Fairbury.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 70 mph blew a tree onto a car causing significant damage, and also downed many large limbs and uprooted a few trees in the Murdock area. The winds also snapped power poles in the region and blew a truck off of Highway 1. School was canceled the next day due to loss of power.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 70 mph blew a tree onto a home and also blew the window out of a house in the Elmwood area. The winds ripped the roof off of a funeral home and caused significant tree and power pole damage in the area. A three-mile portion of a recreation trail near town was closed for several days because of fallen trees and limbs and a bridge railing was damaged by the storm.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 80 mph downed around 100 structures that supported high voltage transmission lines between Elmwood and Weeping Water. Significant tree damage was also noted over the area. The downed power lines caused several thousand people to lose power in the region.

Thunderstorm winds that were estimated at over 70 mph snapped power poles and caused significant tree damage in the Weeping Water area. The fallen trees/limbs caused some structural and vehicle damage in the area.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at close to 70 mph downed numerous trees and power lines in the Unadilla area. A few outbuildings in the area were also destroyed.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 70 mph uprooted about a dozen trees and caused other widespread tree damage in the Syracuse area. Some of the downed trees damaged homes and businesses in the region and also downed power lines. Some outbuildings were also destroyed.

Emergency management estimated thunderstorm wind gusts approached 80 mph near Otoe. The winds toppled many trees in the area, especially north and west of town where 5 county roads were closed. The wind was accompanied by hail up to 1 inch in diameter.

The hail was accompanied by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 70 to 80 mph.

Thunderstorm winds estimated at over 70 blew a tractor trailer off of the road near the Highway 2 and County Road 67 interchange and also overturned a fifth-wheel trailer. Trees were damaged and a few were uprooted which caused some house damage in the area.

Reported near the intersection of Highways 50 and 2.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph destroyed a machine shed on the western outskirts of Nebraska City driving some of the boards through a window of a house and also into the roof.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 70 mph destroyed a 60 by 150 foot machine shed and tipped over a large tractor east of Tecumseh. The winds caused tree damage throughout the Tecumseh area and fallen tree limbs knocked the power out to 200 customers.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 70 mph downed a lot of large tree limbs in the Elk Creek area and the fallen limbs caused some shingle and other damage. At least one window was blown out of a local business.

Accompanied by thunderstorm winds which gusted to at least 50 mph.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at close to 70 mph downed large tree limbs in the area and caused some power poles to lean.

Thunderstorm winds destroyed a 50 X 70 ft machine shed with the debris blown about a 1/4 mile. Corn and soybeans were flattened in the area with winds estimated at 70 to 80 mph.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 70 mph downed large limbs and some trees in the Auburn area.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph downed many very large tree limbs blocking east-west travel on Highway 62 in Stella. The winds also ripped shingles off of some roofs and was accompanied by small hail. Grain bins and corn and bean fields suffered damage north of town.

Thunderstorm winds were estimated to gust over 60 mph downing at least one large tree limb in the area. Very heavy rain accompanied the storm with almost 3 inches reported.

Rainfall of 3.5 to 5 inches was reported in the Falls City area, 3 inches of which fell in 1 hour at the airport. The heavy rain briefly flooded some county roads in the Straussville area northwest of town.

Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured at 58 mph by Asos at the Falls City airport at 743pm CDT. Winds were estimated at close to 65 mph in town which downed numerous tree limbs. Pea-size hail and over 3 inches of rain in an hour was also reported. The storm total in the Fall City area this evening was over 3 inches.

Golf ball-size hail was reported north of Falls City along with 3.5 inches of rain. The hail caused some crop damage in the area.