Thayer County tornado destroys barn, damages golf course
HEBRON, Neb. (KLKN) – A tornado touched down on the edge of Hebron and damaged the golf course.
The weekend brought multiple destructive storms to the area. The National Weather Service issued a rare tornado emergency on Sunday night as a twister tore through Thayer County.
One homeowner who lives southwest of Hebron said their barn was ripped from its foundation on Saturday night. Against all odds, their property was hit by a tornado again on Sunday night.
“All of a sudden, you look up, and we could see it coming down out of the sky,” said Jake Wit, who lives right by the golf course.
Wit and his family hunkered down in their basement once they saw debris swirling right outside of the front door.
“It came down, jumped the road and hit the golf course,” he said. “And a few seconds later, it was all over.”
Wood chunks were flung by the winds, lodging several inches in the ground.
“We obviously lost some cart sheds, some big trees that have been here for hundreds of years,” Wit said.
He and his family take these situations seriously because his wife lived through the historic Hallam tornado back in 2004.
“She is not a big fan of tornadoes,” Wit said. “Anytime we get severe weather, a tornado warning, or watch, we are in the house.”
Early Monday morning, volunteers showed up at the golf course and broke out chainsaws to get to work.
“It’s a blessing,” Wit said. “Any time the community does those little things like that, you really appreciate it.”
He said thanks to the volunteers, they’ll likely have most of the work done by tonight. And the golf course could be back open for business as soon as tomorrow.
