5-year anniversary of Pilger twin tornadoes

“As I turned into what would be the first street in town, I saw numerous people walking toward the highway and it looked like they had a thousand-year stare as if they just came from a war zone, many of them were covered in debris and dirt,” Stanton County Sheriff, Mike Unger said.

The small village of Pilger, just east of Norfolk, made it’s name known 5 years ago for just a short terrifying time.

Two rare EF-4 twin tornadoes leveled everything in it’s path.

Since the devastation hit on June 16, 2014, new buildings and businesses have been built, as well as many homes.

One of the biggest impacts of the disaster is the lack of people now living in the village. Sheriff Unger says about 350 people use to call Pilger home but now the number is down to around 200.

“It would be really nice for more children to come into town because that was the fun part, seeing kids fly around on their bikes and having a good time,” Pilger resident, Tabitha Streeter said.

Tabitha’s home has been restored after $50,000 worth of damage. The storm ripped off her roof and broke windows and doors. She says it’s easier to appreciate what new things came after the tornadoes.

“It makes you sad because of what used to be there but you see beautiful things now like the building green structures and how nice is our beautiful community center that we have,” Streeter said. “It makes you proud that it’s getting nicer.”

Two lives were lost during the storm. Pilger and the rural communities have been rising above the tragedy with all of the help they have received from thousands of volunteers and many donations.

“Pilger is a resilient little town, like a lot of Nebraska towns,” Sheriff Unger said. “They’re Nebraska strong but Pilger has it’s own motto, ‘a town too tough to die’ and I think that hits right at the top.”