HASTINGS — The National Weather Service – Hastings is sending out teams to survey possible tornado damage in the Beaver City, Holdrege and Axtell areas after severe thunderstorms swept through the area during the evening of Monday, July 1.
A Slight Risk for severe weather had been issued across central Nebraska for the late afternoon and evening of Monday. Storms were expected to initiate in southwest Nebraska and grow into a cluster or line as they moved east.
Thunderstorms initiated in northwestern Kansas and then tracked into Nebraska, numerous cells began to initiate in clusters and tracked to the northeast.
One cell began to display supercell characteristics and a tornado warning was issued just before 6 p.m. for the Beaver City and Oxford area.
This severe thunderstorm began to move along Highway 34 as it approached the Atlanta-Holdrege area and maintained a tornado warning.
Passing through the Axtell area, large tree limbs were blown down from trees into the streets and along the Highway.
By this point a large line of thunderstorms was pushing across central Nebraska and the cell responsible for the tornado warning was absorbed as it passed north of the Minden area.
Amanda Wekesser, a meteorologist with NWS Hastings said that damage survey teams would be looking into areas around Beaver City, Holdrege and Axtell for possible tornado damage.
The storm also brought large amounts of rain to the area, Wekesser said a new daily record for July 1 was set in Grand Island. The new record was 2.07 inches, the prior record set in 1962 was 1.20 inches.
Rainfall in other areas included over three inches northwest of Oceola, 3.5 inches in Riverdale, 3.0 inches in Holdrege, 2.3 inches in Kearney and 2.0 inches at York.
There was flooding reported in the area, Highway 92 in Polk County was closed west of Osceola and east of Shelby.
“Nebraska Department of Roads in Polk County has determined the best course of action at this time is to close Highway 92 from the West Osceola 81/92 Junction to the East Shelby 81/92 Junction due to flooding,” Polk County Emergency Management stated.
