Power Outage in Sutton, NE

Peak wind gusts estimated to be around 95 MPH caused widespread damage along and near this path. Numerous power poles were damaged, including several that were snapped. Tree damage was reported, and several irrigation pivots were overturned. Outbuilding damage occurred, and a grain bin just west of Saronville was shifted off its foundation and crumpled. A shed was overturned north of Sutton.

Wind gusts were estimated to be near 80 MPH. Power lines and trees were downed in Sutton.

Wind gusts estimated to be near 95 MPH occurred along this path. The main reports of damage came from the Harvard and Sutton areas. Widespread tree damage was reported, along with large areas of flattened crops. Minor roof damage occurred in Sutton. Numerous power outages were reported. Emergency management reported multiple irrigation pivots overturned in the area, along with 3 large grain bins destroyed and an outbuilding damaged along N Road near Harvard.

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle resulted in a coating of ice at least one-quarter inch thick. Travel was hazardous, and numerous tree limbs were downed. Some limbs were as large as 10 inches in diameter, and there were limbs that had fallen onto area roadways, adding to ongoing travel issues. Power lines were also affected, causing power outages.

A peak wind gust of 63 MPH was recorded at 7:41 PM CDT by a mesonet station located 4 miles east of Pauline. A gust of 62 MPH was recorded at 7:25 PM CDT by a mesonet station located 2 miles west-northwest of Fairfield. At 7:45 PM CDT, Emergency management reported that power lines were knocked down in the 200 block of North Fillmore in Harvard.

Widespread wind gusts of 70 to 85 MPH occurred along this path. A 85 MPH wind gust was measured by a mesonet station located 2 miles west-northwest of Fairfield, and a 70 MPH wind gusts was measured by a mesonet station located 2 miles north-northeast of Deweese. Building damage was reported in the Glenvil and Fairfield areas, with the COOP building in Fairfield losing an entire wall. Numerous trees and power lines were down across the Glenvil, Fairfield and Deweese areas. Several area pivots were damaged, and a grain bin collapse occurred in Fairfield. There was considerable crop damage in the area, including at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center located west of Clay Center, where several buildings were also damaged.

This tornado was reported initially as a multi-vortex tornado for several miles before taking on a more traditional look south of Saronville, where it was described as a wedge tornado. Based upon reports and video, it appears the entire mesocyclone of the storm was near ground level southwest of Sutton. It was one of the strongest tornado of the day in south central Nebraska, rated an EF3 with the peak wind estimated to be 150 MPH. Rear flank downdraft winds resulted in damage on the south side of the tornado track and in addition to the damage to Sutton itself, areas east of Clay Center, southwest of Sutton through northwest of Grafton were affected. Power poles and trees were damaged or snapped, irrigation pivots were overturned, and a few homes and outbuildings suffered damage.||Damage from this tornado was first noted north of Fairfield, where large tree limbs were knocked down and power poles broken. The tornado shifted mainly east across Highway 14 south of Clay Center, with additional tree damage as well as irrigation pivots overturned. It then started to move to the northeast, crossing Highway 41 east of Clay Center and Highway 6 a few miles west of Sutton, but powerful rear flank downdraft winds of 100 mph hammered Sutton and areas south-southwest of town, causing widespread property damage. Moving in between Saronville and Sutton, the tornado then started a more east-northeast path, crossing Road 6 north of Sutton before dissipating approximately 5 miles northeast of town.||As the tornado approached and crossed Highway 6 it intensified to it strongest point. Damage peaked a few miles north of Sutton, where the EF-3 rating was assigned, resulting from the destruction of a home. Elsewhere along the path, a few other homes sustained less significant damage than the one north of Sutton, and a number of other outbuildings and grain bins were also damaged or destroyed. Many trees were damaged, destroyed or contained debris (mainly from destroyed grain bins), irrigation pivots were overturned and power poles broken.

At about 5 pm, the wind was from the north at 30 mph, gusting to 40 to 45 mph, with visibility of 100 yards or less occurring six miles east-southeast of Clay Center. At 811 pm, the emergency manager reported that the power was out to much of the community of Edgar where people were being moved to warming shelters. Storm total snowfall was 8.5 inches with a liquid equivalent of 0.90 inches, six miles east southeast of Clay Center.

One power line as well as some 2.5 to 3 inch tree limbs reported blown down.

Lightning struck the water tower in Sutton. The lightning damaged some radio equipment located on the water tower. Several lightning strikes in the county caused some power and telephone outages. (source: Clay County News).