2014 Pilger, Nebraska, tornado family
Clockwise loop: The Wakefield tornado touching down on the right, with the first Pilger tornado roping out and interacting with the newly developed tornado. Low-end EF4 damage to a swept away home near Stanton. Complete destruction to a home in Pilger, with the damage rated at low-end EF4. A farmhouse near Wakefield destroyed at EF4 intensity. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 16, 2014, 2:38 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | June 16, 2014, 4:42 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 2 hours and 4 minutes |
| Tornado family | |
| Tornadoes | 6 |
| Maximum rating | EF4 tornado |
| Highest winds | 191 mph (307 km/h) (main Pilger tornado) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 20 |
| Damage | $20.32 million (2014 USD) |
| Areas affected | Stanton, Pilger, Wakefield |
Part of the Tornado outbreak of June 16-18, 2014 and tornadoes of 2014 | |
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, Wisner, 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 main Pilger tornado was tied as the strongest tornado of 2014, with wind speeds comparable to the Mayflower-Vilonia tornado.
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, known as the Pilger twins. One of these tornadoes struck the village of Pilger directly, resulting in devastating damage. The other tornado in the Pilger twin leveled a farmhouse before dissipating east of Altona, Nebraska. Meanwhile, the main Pilger tornado 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.