Tornado Damage - Thursday May 29, 2008

The original Exposition Building was built in 1990 and the Ag Pavilion was added ten years later.

Sadly, the original Exposition Building was destroyed in the tornado that went through Kearney in the summer of 2008. After the destruction, the Fair board decided that while construction was already to be done, the Ag Pavilion that was previously only enclosed by chain link fence on two sides would be completely enclosed. We are now working on floor plans for the New Exposition Building and we are scheduled to start construction after the 2009 Fair and have the building completed by the end of 2010.

Fairgrounds Staff sees it unfold, and sees it collapse too
By LORI POTTER, Hub Staff Writer
KEARNEY — The west end of the Buffalo County Expo Center looks as if a giant foot stomped on it. Some walls from the clear-span steel building fell in large sections. Some are buckled as if they were hit by a punch and others collapsed in waves.   ...read the complete story at the Kearney HUB.

View video footage of the destruction left by the tornado in Kearney at the Kearney HUB website.  (http://hubvideo.kearneyhub.com/?p=182).  Hub Video by Betsy Friedrich
Click here for the May 2008 tornadoes site with videos, photos and articles.

Storm Path from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

The second damage path began around 5:15 p.m. in Buffalo County about 2 miles east of Odessa and ended near Shelton around 6:00 p.m.  This wind damage, per eyewitness reports, featured the development and dissipation of multiple weak tornadoes.  None of these tornadoes remained on the ground for more than a few minutes, but there were tornadoes on the ground for almost the entire 25 mile path length.  The damage noted was consistent with that of an EF-1 rating, or winds between 86-110 mph.  This damage path began as scores of empty coal train cars were blown over.  The tornadoes affected a large part of the central residential area in the city of Kearney.  There were hundreds of trees and literally thousands of tree limbs that crashed into homes, businesses, and vehicles.  There was some minor siding and roof damage to structures caused by the winds.  These winds also knocked down power lines and signs and displaced several empty grain bins.  The maximum width of the tornado damage was estimated to be less than 100 yards.  There were no injuries or deaths reported with these tornadoes.

The blue dashed line represents the portion of the path were touchdowns were more sporadic.

The third tornado damage path was the most organized, as this tornado was the most persistent.  It appeared to remain on the ground for the majority of its 30 mile long path.  It began near Harmon Park in the city of Kearney around 5:25 p.m.  It moved east through the Buffalo County Fairgrounds, causing the Expo Center to partially collapse.  The tornado then continued east to the Kearney Airport where it destroyed a hanger and an aircraft housed inside.  The tornado then continued to move east/northeast for nearly 30 miles before lifting about 6 miles north of Wood River in Hall County around 6:25 p.m.  This tornado was rated a high end EF-2, or with winds estimated near 135 mph at times.  Other damage caused by this long track tornado included multiple businesses on the northeast side of Kearney sustaining structural damage, including loading dock bay doors being blown in or sucked out and some collapsing of walls.  When the tornado moved into rural areas, many farmsteads were hit.  There was very limited damage to the residences, but many out buildings and empty grain bins were damaged or destroyed.  There were multiple power poles and lines down by this storm.  The maximum width of the tornado damage was estimated to be 400 yards.  No injuries or deaths were reported with this storm.