Tornadoes Occur over Western Sandhills on 6/17/14

Tornadoes Occur over the Western Sandhills on 6/17/14

Thunderstorms developed over western Cherry County along a frontal boundary that spanned north to south across the western Sandhills in the late afternoon of June 17th, 2014. The storms had very little movement initially, but then did see movement and further development to the south into Hooker County into the evening.

These storms produced multiple tornadoes along with very large hail. The first tornadoes to develop were from two different storms. The northern storm was west of Merriman, with a tornado reported near the South Dakota border. The second storm was further south, with the first tornado report coming from an area around the Snake River just west of Highway 61. The northern storm weakened, however the southern storm remained strong and started a very slow progression southeast along the frontal boundary into western Hooker County. The last reported tornado was shortly after 815 pm MDT southwest of Mullen before the storm weakened and dissipated.

Although there were numerous tornadoes with these storms, they impacted rural areas across the Sandhills and no damage has been noted. With no damage reported, the tornadoes have been rated EF-0.

Very large hail also fell out of these storms, with several reports of golfball to softball size hail.

This information is preliminary and subject to change pending a final review of the event.

Radar Loop of Storms with Warnings and Reports


12 miles southwest of Mullen - near 8 PM MDT Photo courtesy of the Hooker County Deputy Sheriff

12 miles west northwest of Merriman Photo courtesy of Mike Umscheid

South Highway 61 Semi blown off road by tornado - no injuries. Photo courtesy of Rose Chappell

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1105 AM CDT WED JUN 18 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0522 PM     HAIL             16 S MERRIMAN           42.69N 101.70W
06/17/2014  E1.50 INCH       CHERRY             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0540 PM     TORNADO          10 WNW MERRIMAN         42.98N 101.88W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED ROPE TORNADO STILL IN CONTACT
            WITH THE GROUND.

0540 PM     HAIL             17 S MERRIMAN           42.68N 101.70W
06/17/2014  E1.25 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            MOST HAIL WAS QUARTER SIZED OR SMALLER.

0540 PM     TORNADO          37 SW CODY              42.56N 101.76W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

0543 PM     TORNADO          27 SW CODY              42.66N 101.62W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            TORNADO LIFTED UP AND DOWN SEVERAL TIMES WITH DEBRIS
            VISIBLE ON GROUND BEFORE TORNADO MOVED SOUTHEAST.

0630 PM     TORNADO          32 S MERRIMAN           42.46N 101.70W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            TORNADO LIFTED A 40 FOOT STOCK TRAILER OF THE HIGHWAY.
            THE DRIVER HEADED FOR THE DITCH TO AVOID THE TRAILER
            BEING OVERTURNED. THE EVENT TOOK PLACE ON HIGHWAY 61 AT
            MILE MARKER 195.

0630 PM     TORNADO          35 NE HYANNIS           42.36N 101.28W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            SAW TORNADO ON WAY HOME FROM WORK IN VICINITY OF WILLOW
            VALLEY SCHOOL. FLIPPED A SEMI ON HIGHWAY 61 AROUND MILE
            MARKER 194. CAR FROM NEIGHBOR WAS BLOWN OFF ROAD.

0643 PM     HAIL             27 SW CODY              42.66N 101.62W
06/17/2014  M4.00 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            HAIL FROM PEA SIZED TO NEARLY THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL.

0643 PM     HAIL             27 SW CODY              42.66N 101.62W
06/17/2014  M4.25 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            PEA TO SOFTBALL SIZED HAIL.

0700 PM     TORNADO          25 N WHITMAN            42.41N 101.54W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            FIRST TORNADO SIGHTED...APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE WIDE.
            LOCATION IS JUST SOUTHEAST OF ROUND LAKE.

0710 PM     TORNADO          25 N WHITMAN            42.41N 101.54W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            2ND TORNADO TOPPED TREES ON PROPERTY AND SOME LARGE TREE
            BRANCHES WERE DOWNED...JUST SOUTHEAST OF ROUND LAKE.

0715 PM     HAIL             23 N WHITMAN            42.38N 101.54W
06/17/2014  M1.75 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

0715 PM     TORNADO          25 N WHITMAN            42.41N 101.54W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            2 TO 3 SEPARATE TORNADOES WERE SPOTTED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST
            OF THIS LOCATION. REPORTED AS SEPARATE DISTINCT
            TORNADOES.

0718 PM     HAIL             32 NE HYANNIS           42.33N 101.32W
06/17/2014  M2.75 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            GOLF BALL TO BASEBALL SIZED HAIL...ALONG WITH TORRENTIAL
            RAIN. SOME STANDING WATER IN FIELDS.

0728 PM     HAIL             30 NE HYANNIS           42.31N 101.35W
06/17/2014  M1.75 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            HAIL RANGING IN SIZE FROM MARBLE TO GOLF BALL SIZE.

0730 PM     HAIL             25 NE HYANNIS           42.26N 101.42W
06/17/2014  M4.25 INCH       CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

            HAIL WAS LARGER THAN SOFTBALL SIZE AND MEASURED 5 INCHES
            IN DIAMTER. DELAYED REPORT. TIME ESTIMATED.

0836 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     12 WSW MULLEN           41.98N 101.26W
06/17/2014                   HOOKER             NE   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

0838 PM     HAIL             19 W MULLEN             42.04N 101.41W
06/17/2014  M2.75 INCH       HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

            GOLF BALL TO BASEBALL SIZED HAIL...SPARSE AT TIME OF
            REPORT.

0839 PM     TORNADO          8 NW MULLEN             42.12N 101.15W
06/17/2014                   CHERRY             NE   NWS EMPLOYEE

            BRIEF FULL CONDENSATION TO GROUND...VERY RAPID ROTATION
            REPORTED BY OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE.

0907 PM     TORNADO          12 WSW MULLEN           41.98N 101.26W
06/17/2014                   HOOKER             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            POSSIBLE RAIN-WRAPPED TORNADO

0910 PM     TORNADO          12 WSW MULLEN           41.98N 101.26W
06/17/2014                   HOOKER             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MULTI VORTEX TORNADO PICKING UP DIRT

0915 PM     TORNADO          9 SW MULLEN             41.95N 101.17W
06/17/2014                   HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

            TORNADO REPORTED 3 MILES SOUTH OF HECLA. REPORTED AS CONE
            GOING TO ROPE PHASE.

0915 PM     HAIL             9 SW MULLEN             41.95N 101.17W
06/17/2014  M1.75 INCH       HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

0917 PM     TORNADO          9 SW MULLEN             41.95N 101.17W
06/17/2014                   HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED A SMALL WEDGE SHAPED TORNADO
            APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MULLEN.

0920 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     10 SW MULLEN            41.94N 101.18W
06/17/2014                   HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

            FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MULLEN.

0920 PM     HAIL             3 SW MULLEN             42.01N 101.08W
06/17/2014  M0.50 INCH       HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

0950 PM     HAIL             7 SW MULLEN             41.97N 101.14W
06/17/2014  E1.25 INCH       HOOKER             NE   PUBLIC

            MARBLE TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL AT TIME OF REPORT.