Dust Storm — Seward, Nebraska

2002-05-22 · Seward, Nebraska

Event narrative

High gradient winds up to 50 mph whipped blinding dust across interstate 80 just east of the Beaver Crossing interchange west of Lincoln. Visibilities, which were suddenly reduced to zero in the blowing dust, caused a 10-vehicle pileup that killed 2 people and injured 8 others. The eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed for more than 7 hours after the accident. The accident apparently began when a semi truck hit a sport utility vehicle that had reduced its speed because of the dust. After another semi slowed down because of the first collision it was hit by a third semi. A pickup truck, which was the vehicle that the 2 people killed were in, then slammed into the third semi.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5299676. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.