Crops Devastated by Sunday Hail Storm

Twenty minutes of marble-size and larger hail Sunday evening laid waste to crops in a large swath of southern Antelope County.
More than four inches of rain were recorded around parts of Elgin from a series of severe thunderstorm cells which pounded the area one after another as part of a string of thunderstorm which stretched northeast from Kansas through Elgin and into Minnesota.
The hail was accompanied by wind which made the devastation worse, if that’s possible.
When it was over, residents emerged from their homes to the site of devastation. In Elgin, homes with vinyl siding saw holes formed by hail stones.
There were many reports of windows being boken as well.
Many trees were shed of some, but not all, of their leaves, the green foliage littered yards and streets. Tender plants in gardens and flower beds were beaten, their stems broken by direct hits from hail stones. Hours later, hail stones could still be found collected on decks and near drain spouts as well as under bushes, anywhere where they could stack up.
Then, there are the farms. The storm’s path laid waste to numerous circles of corn fields. At this time, farmers will have to make a decision as to what to do, whether to replant. Fortunately, most farmers carry crop insurance for times like these.
Weather observers spotted several tornadoes in the area as part of the storm.
The storm caused a large tree to fall and blocked a road approximately four miles southeast of Elgin.
Flash flood warnings were issued for much of Antelope, Boone, Platte, Madison, Wayne, Pierce, Stanton and Cedar counties and remained in effect until 12:30 a.m. Monday.