Thunderstorm Wind in Hitchcock County, Nebraska

The high wind gust snapped the top of an 80 foot tree off, with the top of the tree flying over a nearby house. The wind also flipped a swing set. The house shook because the winds were so strong. Elsewhere around town there was widespread, major tree damage. Twelve to eighteen inch diameter trees were snapped and uprooted. Power poles were damaged which lead to power outages in town and the surrounding area. In town one garage and one unanchored mobile home were destroyed. There were many roofs damaged as well as siding on houses. A camper was overturned, damaged and resulted in one (direct) fatality.

During the evening a line of severe storms moved into Southwest Nebraska from Northwest Kansas. The highest wind speeds were along the leading edge of the squall line. The highest wind gust reported was 100 MPH at Stratton. Large hail was also reported as the squall line moved through, with the golf ball size hail near Stratton being the largest.