Power Outage in Shelton, NE

Severe wind gusts occurred along a line of outflow well ahead and south of a line of thunderstorms to the north. A power line was down from a fallen tree in the community of Shelton. The Buffalo County Emergency Manager estimated the wind gust at 60 MPH. The emergency manager also reported an accident just south on Interstate 80 that was possibly weather related. A nearby observation at the Kearney Airport recorded a measured wind gust of 59 MPH at 1:59 AM CDT at the same time of the wind damage. There was also a public report of an estimated 60 mph wind gust was reported 3 miles south of Gibbon at the Windmill State Recreation Area.

Wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph were reported. Reports included damage to power lines and transformers, large branches down, metal building and billboard destroyed.

This tornado started west of Kearney and moved east. Eye witness reports indicate this was a multi-vortex tornado that skipped along US Highway 30 through Kearney and ended near Shelton. Near the start of this twister, scores of empty coal train cars were blown over. The tornado did affect a large part of the central area of Kearney. A report from the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department���s wind system showed 100 mph winds as it passed through the downtown area. There were hundreds of trees and literally thousands of tree limbs that crashed into homes, businesses, and vehicles. There was some minor siding and roof damage to structures caused by the winds. These winds also knocked down power lines and signs and displaced several empty grain bins. Tree damage was noted in the villages of Gibbon and Shelton.

This tornado was the most organized tornado that hit the city of Kearney this night and was the most persistent. It appeared to stay on the ground for the majority of its 22 mile path in Buffalo County. The tornado did exit Buffalo County and entered Hall County. The tornado started in the northwest part of the city of Kearney where it damaged an apartment complex. It took the roof off of part of the complex, blew out a wall and stacked a couple of cars in the parking lot. The tornado then moved east, damaging trees in Harmon Park and took a part of the roof off a building near the hospital. At the Buffalo County Fairgrounds, it caused a portion of the Expo Center building to collapse. Two people in this building were shook up but not injured. The tornado then continued east to the Kearney Airport where it destroyed a hanger and the cooperate jet housed inside. The tornado then continued on east and northeast through rural parts of Buffalo County. Several farmsteads were hit but damage was limited to shingles removed from roofs, outbuildings damaged and empty grain bins destroyed. There were multiple power poles and lines down by this storm.