June 20, 2006 Sheridan County Tornado
Storm Damage Survey Results:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
511 PM CDT WED JUN 21 2006
...BRIEF TORNADO TOUCH DOWN DESTROYS A HOUSE SOUTH OF RUSHVILLE...
A STRONG...ANTICYCLONICALLY ROTATING THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A BRIEF
TORNADO TUESDAY EVENING JUST SOUTH OF THE TOWN OF RUSHVILLE NEBRASKA
IN NORTHERN SHERIDAN COUNTY. THE NORTHEASTWARD MOVING STORM WAS
UNUSUAL IN THAT IT ROTATED ANTICYCLONICALLY...OR CLOCKWISE...WHILE
MOST SEVERE WEATHER PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS ARE CYCLONIC...OR
COUNTER-CLOCKWISE ROTATING. THIS ROTATION WAS OBSERVED BY DOPPLER
RADAR FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND CONFIRMED BY EYE WITNESS
ACCOUNTS.
THIS UNUSUAL STORM EVENTUALLY PRODUCED A TORNADO...ALSO RARE FOR
ANTICYCLONICALLY ROTATING STORMS...THAT DESTROYED A HOME 2 MILES
SOUTH OF RUSHVILLE AT 512 PM MDT. THE STORM THEN CONTINUED TO MOVE
NORTHEAST THROUGH THE TOWN OF RUSHVILLE...DOWNING SEVERAL TREES AND
CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TOWN FROM UP TO TENNIS BALL SIZE
HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 90 MPH. SEVERAL
OTHER HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE DAMAGED AS WELL...IN ADDITION TO MANY
OUTBUILDINGS AND PIVOT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS.
A PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON HAS RESULTED IN A TORNADO DAMAGE RATING OF F1...
RELATING TO WINDS BETWEEN 73 AND 112 MPH. IN ADDITION TO THE
TORNADO AND WIND AND HAIL DAMAGE PRODUCED BY THE STORM...SEVERAL
GRASS FIRES WERE STARTED AS A RESULT OF THE LIGHTNING ASSOCIATED WITH
THE THUNDERSTORM. THANKFULLY...NO INJURIES OR DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS STORM HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME.
THIS DAMAGE SURVEY MAY BE UPDATED AT A LATER TIME IF ADDITIONAL
DETAILS BECOME AVAILABLE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH
PLATTE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO PROVIDED VALUABLE INFORMATION
DURING THE STORM AND TO THOSE WHO ASSISTED IN THE DAMAGE SURVEY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
Additional Photos:
All tornado photos courtesy of Jacque Trumball
