June 14, 2014: 5 Weak Tornadoes, Very Large Hail and 70+ MPH Winds Strike The Area

Event Summary:

Starting around 530 PM on Saturday, June 14, 2014, and lasting through around 1 AM on early Sunday morning the 15th, much of the NWS Hastings coverage area (but especially locations near/south of Interstate 80 including North Central Kansas) experienced one or more rounds of significant severe weather, including a few brief tornadoes. For the majority of affected locations, the most noteworthy aspect of this event was widespread straight-line wind damage as a fast-moving north-to-south-oriented line of severe storms raced from west-to-east across nearly all counties along and south of Interstate 80 between 930pm-100am. This severe squall line produced widespread gusts into the 60-90+ MPH range, uprooting or damaging countless trees across the region and also damaging several structures (especially outbuildings, grain bins, power poles etc.). Automated airport sensors at Phillipsburg KS and Hastings measured peak wind gusts of 86 MPH and 79 MPH, respectively, in association with this severe squall line. 

Prior to the aforementioned severe squall line, the late afternoon through mid-evening hours featured more in the way of isolated to scattered severe storms, primarily focused across central and northeast counties along and near a well-defined surface cold front. The main feature with these earlier storms was very large hail, including several reports of golf ball to baseball size stones, and even one very large stone measuring 4.25" in diameter that fell at an NWS employee's home 3 miles southeast of Hastings. These more isolated storms also resulted in several reports of generally brief (on the ground for 1 mile or less) tornadoes. After post-storm examination of storm damage, storm spotter and chaser photos/video and radar data, NWS Hastings has confirmed 5 "official" tornadoes, consisting of one EF-1 and four EF-0s. Most of these tornadoes were "landspout" in nature and appearance, including the first tornado of the day, an EF-1 that broke power poles and damaged fencing 10 miles WNW of Stockton KS. 

In addition to all of the severe weather, locally heavy rain as much as 2-4" fell across portions of the area, especially within a southwest-to-northeast corridor running several miles either side of a line from near Grand Island-Fullerton, thus resulting in mainly lowland and small stream flooding.

This significant severe weather event was fairly well-anticipated forecast-wise (except for the magnitude of damaging winds being somewhat under-estimated), as the Storm Prediction Center placed nearly the entire local area in a Moderate Risk of severe weather 24-36 hours in advance, and the NWS Hastings Hazardous Weather Outlook issued on the morning of the 14th stated that "the initial development late this afternoon into this evening will be capable of producing large hail up to around tennis ball size or larger, and possibly a brief tornado or two. Later in the evening, large hail will remain a threat, but the primary hazard will trend towards damaging winds up to around 70 MPH..." 

TORNADO SUMMARY:

All information is considered preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event and publication in NCDC StormData. 

• Softball size (4.25") hail was reported 3 SE Hastings.

• Baseball size (2.75") hail was reported at the following locations: 4 S Fullerton, 2 S Gibbon, 4 NNE Ayr,
  5 S Hastings and Arapahoe.

• Hen egg size (2") hail was reported in Ashton.

• Golf ball size (1.75") hail was reported at the following locations: 1 E Glade, Grand Island, 1 N Ravenna,
  Funk, Trumbull, 2 WSW Atlanta and 6 S Holdrege.

• Half dollar size (1.25") hail was reported in Ayr.

• Quarter size (1") hail was reported at the following locations: 1 N Kirwin, 3 S Athol, 12 N Central City, 1 N Genoa,
  5 E Kearney, Rockville and 4 SW Juniata.

• Widespread wind damage in MANY COMMUNITIES (too many to name individually)...including Franklin, Alma, Red Cloud, Superior, Osborne...

• A wind gust of 86 MPH was recorded by the Phillipsburg Airport AWOS.

• A wind gust of 82 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 3 S York.

• An estimated wind gust of 80 MPH was reported in Cambridge, 3 S Long Island, Kensington, Holstein, Nelson, and 3 WSW Saronville.

• A wind gust of 79 MPH was recorded by the Hastings Airport ASOS.

• A wind gust of 77 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 2 E Webster.

• A wind gust of 76 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 2 WSW Ohiowa and 2 NNE Davenport. 

• A wind gust of 71 MPH was recorded by the Smith Center Airport AWOS.

• An estimated wind gust of 70 MPH was reported in Ragan, Burr Oak, Bladen, and 3 ESE Inland. 

• A wind gust of 66 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site in Logan. 

• An estimated wind gust of 65 MPH was reported in McCool Junction.

• A wind gust of 64 MPH was recorded by the Stockton Airport AWOS.

• A wind gust of 63 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 3 S Lebanon. 

• A wind gust of 62 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 2 S Elm Creek.

• A wind gust of 60 MPH was recorded by the Holdrege and Hebron Airport AWOS's.

• An estimated wind gust of 60 MPH was reported in Plainville, 4 ENE Minden, and Henderson.

• A wind gust of 59 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 1 N Osborne and at the Beloit Airport AWOS.

• A wind gust of 58 MPH was recorded by a mesonet site 1 S Wood River.

Preliminary storm reports (click image)

 
Below is a table which includes a few of the highest rainfall amounts from across the area.  These are 24 hour totals ending around 8 a.m. on the morning of June 15th.

Here are a few photos from across the area:

Power pole damage north of Logan. Photo from NWS survey.	Corn stalks thrown across the road into the ditch by tornado near Webster Dam. Photo from NWS survey.	Damage at Webster Dam. Photo from NWS survey

Tree damage in Nelson. Photo courtesy of Amy Dunn.	Tree damage in Beaver City. Photo courtesy of Darla McGahan.	Grain bin damage in Hendley. Photo courtesy of Darla McGahan.

Tree damage in Oxford. Photo courtesy of Darla McGahan.	Damage near Wilsonville. Photo courtesy of Eddie Blackburn.	Damage at Harlan County Dam. Photo courtesy of Jody Niles.

Damage at Harlan County Dam. Photo courtesy of Jody Niles.	Tree uprooted near Red Cloud. Photo courtesy of Mike Goebel.	Flooding southwest of Giltner. Photo courtesy of Mike Moritz.

Hail 3 SE of Hastings. Photo courtesy of Jeff Halblaub.	Largest hailstone 3 SE of Hastings. Photo courtesy of Jeff Halblaub.	Hail in Gibbon. Photo courtesy of Kerri Slack.

Hail in Hastings. Photo courtesy of Keith Yaple.	Hail 2 N of Ayr Photo courtesy of Team Volatile Setup.

Tornado near Hildreth. Photo courtesy of Chris Sheen.	Tornado near Hildreth. Photo courtesy of John Michael Sich.	Tornado near Webster State Park. Photo courtesy of Jessica Billings.

Storm near Giltner. Photo courtesy of Kayla Hagemeister.	Funnel cloud/possible tornado near Trumbull. Photo courtesy of Jacob DeFlitch.