On the afternoon and early evening of June 16, 2014, a powerful cyclic supercell struck northeast Nebraska, producing six tornadoes, including four violent (EF4+) tornadoes. The tornadoes impacted areas east of Norfolk, including the village of Pilger, which sustained major damage, as well as farmsteads near Stanton, and Wakefield. This outbreak resulted in two fatalities, 20 injuries, and approximately $20.92 million (2014 USD) in damages. The event was part of the tornado outbreak of June 16–18, 2014, and the supercell produced the year's third, fourth, fifth, and sixth violent tornadoes.
The first tornado touched down in an open field near Stanton but quickly dissipated. A more significant tornado then formed near Stanton. This tornado traveled for approximately 12 miles, causing extensive damage to several farmsteads and sweeping away a few farmhouses before lifting north of Dewey. Shortly thereafter, the supercell produced two additional violent tornadoes, subsequently becoming twin EF4 tornadoes. One of these tornadoes struck the village of Pilger directly, resulting in devastating damage and one death. The other twin over to the east leveled a farmhouse before dissipating east of Altona, Nebraska, responsible for a second fatality. Meanwhile, the western twin tornado, which devastated Pilger earlier, continued to wreak havoc across farmlands before eventually being absorbed by the Wakefield tornado. The final violent tornado from the supercell swept away three farmhouses and inflicted significant damage on multiple other farmsteads before dissipating north of Wakefield. The sixth and last tornado produced by the supercell was weak and short-lived.
Meteorological setup
Episode narrative On June 13, 2014, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) noted the possibility of severe weather associated with potential mesoscale convective systems in the northern United States for June 16–18. However, the predictability of this event was too low for the SPC to designate areas at risk of severe weather. The following day, the SPC revised their forecasts, indicating a slight risk for severe activity for areas around the confluence of the Big Sioux and Missouri rivers two days before the eventual tornado outbreak. The development of a low-pressure area and increasing atmospheric instability were expected to be contributing factors. Forecasts remained relatively unchanged on June 15, though the probability for "significant severe weather" was predicted for a large area of northern Iowa and adjacent areas.
Event narrative The morning of June 16 was marked only by isolated storms in the Nebraska area with only marginal severe weather. Beginning at around 0800 UTC, however, favorable conditions for severe weather, particularly for large hail, began to build across central Nebraska. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico began to make its way into southern Nebraska and over Kansas, raising dew points over the region. In addition, the prevalence of altocumulus castellanus clouds was an indicator of additional severe weather later in the day. The flow of moisture into the region was further enhanced by an eastward progressing warm front, and at 0600 UTC on June 16, the SPC once again issued a slight risk for severe weather for the eastern halves of South Dakota, Nebraska, and extending eastward into the western Great Lakes region. This was followed shortly after by the day's first severe thunderstorm watch, issued for primarily eastern Nebraska in response to a developing line of supercells. An hour later, the SPC upgraded some areas previously under a slight risk for severe weather to a moderate risk as a result of continuously increasing moisture content and CAPE in the atmosphere. At 1613 UTC, the SPC issued the first of three public severe weather outlooks for the day, covering a region centered on Sioux City, Iowa. A Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado watch was issued later that afternoon.
Tornado summaries
Stanton, Nebraska
Start of the first violent tornado The first tornado produced by the supercell was a brief, weak EF0 tornado that was recorded by multiple storm chasers in an open field south of Stanton. The tornado lasted two minutes, peaked at , and traveled for . After that tornado dissipated, the storm spawned the first violent tornado, which touched down near 560th Avenue, causing minor damage to trees along the road. It moved northeastward over open terrain with few damage indicators, although an area of snapped trees near 561st Avenue received a high-end EF1 rating. The tornado continued to cause minimal EF0 damage to trees as it crossed the Elkhorn River. It then quickly intensified and reached EF2 strength as it crossed N-24 west of Stanton. An outbuilding was destroyed and power poles along N-24 were snapped. The tornado then weakened to EF1 strength, continuing to snap trees and power poles before rapidly intensifying to a much stronger high-end EF3 intensity as it struck a farmstead along 563rd 1/2 Avenue. A farmhouse was leveled, an outbuilding on the property was demolished, and trees were snapped. During this time, the tornado reached its maximum width of .
Passing Stanton and occlusion north of town
The tornado then weakened to EF2 intensity as it struck another farmstead, causing major roof damage to the farmhouse, partial wall collapse, and the destruction of outbuildings. A semi-truck was overturned. The tornado then moved over open terrain with few damage indicators; this segment was rated EF0 as a result. As it reached 565th Road, the tornado abruptly became violent, leveling and sweeping away a home along 565th Road at low-end EF4 intensity with winds of . Trees at this farmstead were snapped and debarked, an outbuilding was obliterated, and another home was also leveled and swept away. Two vehicles were thrown away, mangled, with one crushed into a ball. The tornado continued traveling northeastward, snapping multiple softwood trees, and became violent once more as it crossed 842nd Road on Payne Creek. A well-built farmhouse was swept away at low-end EF4 intensity, with nearby trees severely debarked and an outbuilding destroyed. A car was thrown a quarter of a mile away, mangled and folded into a ball. Another nearby home suffered light roof damage. The tornado continued to move northeast, destroying a barn with low-end EF2 damage before dissipating northwest of Dewey.
The tornado traveled , lasted 29 minutes, caused no injuries or fatalities, inflicted $2.25 million (2014 USD) in damages, and had a maximum wind speed of .
Pilger, Nebraska
Birth of the first twin The supercell recycled and produced its third tornado, which was also the second violent tornado of the day. At 4:00 p.m. CDT, the tornado touched down southwest of Pilger on 570 Avenue near Cedar Creek, causing minor damage to trees. It strengthened to high-end EF1 intensity on 837th Road, snapping some trees and power poles, before quickly weakening back to EF0. The tornado continued northeast, regaining EF1 strength on 572 Avenue, where it snapped trees and caused minor roof damage to an outbuilding. The tornado then changed direction to north-northeast and intensified to low-end EF2 strength with winds of . At this intensity, several outbuildings near Willers Cove North Dr were flattened, and additional trees were snapped. The tornado made a sharp northeast turn, crossing the Elkhorn River before entering Pilger.
Impact on Pilger
Alongside Highway 15, west of town, the tornado intensified further. An unanchored home was swept away at high-end EF3 intensity, and a feed store north of the home was leveled. An RV was completely wrecked and mangled, and trees were snapped. The tornado crossed South Murray Street, rapidly intensifying to near high-end EF4 intensity. A well-constructed home on this street was swept away, and nearby homes were mostly leveled, leaving only a few interior walls standing. Homes near the intersection of West Black Hills Road and South Murray Street were flattened, trees were debarked, and mobile homes along W Elm Street were obliterated. Debris was scattered, and a five-year-old girl was killed around this area.
Continued devastation and formation of second twin The tornado continued its path of destruction, sweeping away a home along S Stanton St at near high-end EF4 intensity. An entire home was shifted off its foundation further upstream. On S Main Street, a row of well-built homes was swept away with estimated wind speeds of . The tornado then crossed Black Hills Trail Road into downtown Pilger, where it weakened to mid-range EF3 strength. Multiple cars were thrown and heavily damaged, a couple of outbuildings were destroyed, and the town's grain silos were razed. The silos were replaced a few months later. A church was destroyed, and a small business alongside N Main Street suffered severe damage. The tornado then rapidly intensified to near high-end EF4 strength. On E 2nd Street, another row of homes was flattened. Along the street, a well-constructed home at the intersection of E 2nd Street and N Monroe Street was completely swept off its foundation at . The old and historic Wisner-Pilger Middle School on S 2nd Street sustained major damage and was left unrecoverable; it was later demolished. St. John Lutheran Church was leveled and partially swept away at near high-end EF4 intensity, leaving only the bell tower standing. The tornado left Pilger, resulting in the death of a 5-year old girl, two dozen injuries including the child's mother who attempted to take cover in a storm cellar, and $14 million in damages.
Around the same time that this tornado was about to enter town, the supercell produced its fourth tornado, the third violent tornado of the day. This tornado touched down two miles south of Pilger or six miles west of Wisner at 4:13 p.m. CDT, causing light damage to many trees. It strengthened, snapping trees, collapsing the walls of several barns, and bringing down power lines. The tornado then weakened back to EF0 intensity, causing minimal damage to trees and an outbuilding. Both the initial tornado and second tornado to the east, continued to expand in size as they moved through the rural farmland of northwestern Cuming County. The western, Pilger tornado struck a farmstead along Highway 12 at mid-range EF2 intensity, ripping away a large part of the roof and leveling an outbuilding across the road. It then reattained EF3 intensity, causing substantial tree damage and removing the roof from a home on U Road. Meanwhile, the second eastern tornado strengthened, destroying a barn at low-end EF2 strength and causing minor roof damage. It then weakened to EF1, snapping trees and demolishing another outbuilding. The western, Pilger tornado destroyed a barn at low-end EF2 intensity on 412 Road. As the eastern tornado intensified to EF3, it toppled and bent an electrical transmission line and destroyed a nearby outbuilding. At this point, both tornadoes were paralleling each other northwest of Wisner. Another home on 412 Road sustained significant roof damage with winds of .
Dual twisters and dissipation of the second tornado