High winds, rain, hail accompany severe thunderstorm
Residents were sent to their basements after tornado sirens sounded across Hamilton County on Wednesday evening. High winds, torrential rains and hail accompanied the storm that rolled across the county from Phillips to Hampton, and a funnel cloud was spotted near Aurora which led to the sirens sounding.
At 7:05 p.m., the National Weather Service Office in Hastings issued a severe thunderstorm warning for central Hamilton County. The report noted that a severe thunderstorm with the capability of 60 mph wind gusts and hail was near Phillips and moving east at 10 mph.
That was followed at 7:34 by a tornado warning for central Hamilton County. The weather service said a severe storm over Aurora was moving east at 20 mph. It also said a funnel cloud had been sighted by weather spotters.
A third warning was issued at 7:59 p.m. for the southeast part of the county. It stated that at that time the storm was over Hampton and continuing to move in an easterly direction.
Wind damage from the storm included part of a large tree coming down at 1307 12th Street in Aurora just north of the square, and the loss of several doors on a steel building owned by Aurora Cooperative at the Aurora Airport.
Airport Manager Terry Ott reported that three large doors were blown off the building during the storm and said one of the doors was carried more than 600 feet across Highway 14 and came to rest in a corn field. Ott also reported that the wind had partially lifted the roof off another building and had damaged other doors, but noted they were fixable.
Ott said the airport recorded 2 inches of rain from the storm and he said the rain gauge at his house on the south side of Aurora showed 2-1/2 inches of rain from the storm.
While lights merely flickered in some areas, some parts of Aurora were without power for nearly three hours, after a branch reportedly fell on a power line.