Pilger tornado family
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.
What was the Pilger tornados?
The Pilger tornados consisted of a powerful cyclic supercell that produced six distinct tornadoes on June 16, 2014. This weather event struck northeast Nebraska, specifically impacting regions near Stanton, Pilger, and Wakefield. Four of these tornadoes reached violent EF4 status, causing major destruction across the rural landscape. The outbreak caused two fatalities and significant structural loss throughout the affected counties. It stands as a significant event within the June 16 to 18, 2014, tornado outbreak period.
What was the Pilger tornados wind speed?
The Pilger tornados reached a maximum recorded wind speed of 191 mph (307 km/h). Experts determined this peak intensity during an analysis of the damage left by the most powerful vortex in the sequence. Other violent components of the storm also produced intense winds, including several reaching the high-end EF4 range. These measurements reflect the extreme force required to sweep well-built farmhouses off their foundations. The supercell consistently generated wind speeds indicative of violent EF4 status throughout its lifespan.
What was the Pilger tornados path?
The primary tornado touched down approximately 5.5 miles southwest of Pilger before tracking northeast. It carved a destructive path through Nebraska farmland, crossing into Wayne County. Over its 46-minute lifespan, the tornado traveled 23.94 miles (38.53 km) across the terrain. Eventually, it underwent a Fujiwhara interaction and merged into the developing Wakefield tornado, which marked its final dissipation. This track represents the longest path among the violent tornadoes produced by this specific supercell.
How many people died in the Pilger tornados?
The Pilger tornados caused two confirmed fatalities and left 20 people injured. One five-year-old girl died when the tornado struck the village of Pilger, destroying homes and businesses. A second individual, a 74-year-old man from Clarkson, died when the second eastern tornado flipped his car off the road. These casualties occurred despite various efforts by residents to seek shelter, including one mother who took cover in a storm cellar. The event inflicted severe physical trauma on many residents caught in the path.
What did the Pilger tornados destroy?
The Pilger tornados razed multiple well-built farmhouses and destroyed entire residential streets in the village of Pilger. The storm obliterated grain silos, a local feed store, and St. John Lutheran Church. It also damaged the historic Wisner-Pilger Middle School, which officials later demolished due to the severity of the structural compromise. Throughout the rural areas, the vortexes leveled barns, mangled metal truss towers, and snapped countless trees. These tornadoes turned vehicles into mangled balls of metal and stripped soil from farmsteads.
What caused the Pilger tornados?
A cyclic supercell generated the tornadoes after drawing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into Nebraska. Atmospheric instability increased significantly as a warm front moved across the region, raising dew points and CAPE values. The Storm Prediction Center identified the potential for severe weather days in advance but noted low predictability for specific locations. Favorable wind shear and cloud indicators, such as altocumulus castellanus, signaled the incoming severe activity. These conditions allowed a line of supercells to intensify rapidly.
What happened after the Pilger tornados?
Following the storm, the village of Pilger faced an extensive recovery and cleanup effort. The community demolished the damaged school and replaced razed grain silos within a few months of the disaster. Residents worked to rebuild homes and restore infrastructure damaged by the violent winds. Local officials assessed the total financial toll, which reached approximately $20.32 million in 2014 USD. The event forced a significant rebuilding process for the affected rural farmsteads and the village center.
Pilger Tornado Family Track
The mapped ground track below shows the surveyed touchdown point, damage corridor, and dissipation coordinates recorded by NWS field crews. The Pilger tornado family traveled 38.53 km across Stanton, Cuming, Wayne and Dixon Counties, Nebraska. Coordinates are derived from the official SPC historical tornado database.
How many tornadoes did the supercell produce?
The supercell produced six tornadoes during the June 16, 2014, event.
What was the damage cost of the Pilger tornados?
The outbreak caused approximately $20.32 million in damages.
When did the Pilger tornados form?
The first tornado of the supercell touched down on June 16, 2014, at 2:38 p.m. CDT.
What was the peak rating of the Pilger tornados?
The tornadoes reached a maximum intensity of EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.