The overall most significant, widespread damaging wind event of the 2019 convective season wrought havoc across much of South Central Nebraska between the late evening of Thursday the 20th and around sunrise on Friday the 21st. The culprits were two separate linear mesoscale convective systems (MCS), with the first one by far the most impactful. This first storm complex, which traversed the area between 10:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. CDT, produced a swath of damaging winds ranging anywhere from 60 up to around 90 MPH, particularly within a corridor centered roughly 15 miles either side of a line from Cambridge-Minden-Hastings-Sutton. Within this area, there were countless reports of damage, particularly to the likes of trees (many large trees uprooted), power poles/lines and irrigation pivots, but also to some structures (mainly rural outbuildings). A short list of some of the hardest-hit communities included: Arapahoe, Oxford, Kenesaw and Hastings, with Hastings likely enduring its most widespread tree damage in roughly five years. As just a few specific instances of damage and/or measured winds: a grain bin and outbuilding were destroyed near Holbrook with irrigation pipe blown up to one-half mile; an unofficial mesonet gusted to 95 MPH near Oxford; several farm outbuildings were damaged/destroyed near Phillips with sheet metal hanging in trees. Within the Tri Cities, Hastings clearly bore the brunt of wind issues, as Grand Island and Kearney only received a glancing blow of sub-severe gusts mainly in the 40-55 MPH range. However, some places outside of the main damage swath still weren't spared from storm impacts, including in Farwell, where a lightning-induced fire damaged a portion of the fire hall. This primary linear MCS exhibited impressive radar signatures including a bookend vortex and rear inflow notch, with the system as a whole taking on a notable S-shape on reflectivity. As the initial MCS began departing the local area into eastern Nebraska, a second round of storms got underway back to the west, in response to lift above the residual cold pool. Although not nearly as intense/organized as the earlier system, this convection congealed into a northeast-southwest oriented MCS as it entered southwestern counties such as Furnas/Gosper/Harlan between 3:30-4:30 a.m. CDT. For a while, this second system remained slightly sub-severe, with peak gusts only to around 50 MPH (including 53 MPH at Hastings airport). However, some intensification to marginally-severe levels occurred between 5:30-6:30 a.m. CDT in far southeast counties, evidenced by mesonet wind gusts of 67 MPH near Superior and 60 MPH at Davenport. The back edge of this second MCS departed the local area out of Thayer County by 7 a.m. CDT, finally ending the rocky night.
Interestingly, severe-criteria hail was very limited during this event, taking a clear backseat to damaging winds. However, a few quarter size stones were reported in and near communities such as Cambridge and Nelson. The Cambridge area was likely the hardest-hit, as copious amounts of mainly small hail combined with winds to promote fairly extensive crop damage. Rainfall-wise, the majority of South Central Nebraska measured between 0.50-1.50, holding flooding issues at bay. However, there were limited corridors of 2-3+, particularly within parts of Furnas/Gosper/Phelps counties. Including more rain that fell on the morning of the 22nd, Thayer County actually dealt with some of the worst flooding issues in the ensuing few days, such as water over several rural roads and a bridge washout north of Chester.
Looking at the meteorological setup, this was a fairly classic recipe for intense overnight convection in the Central Plains. In the mid-upper levels, seasonably-strong, west-southwesterly flow was in place, downstream from a large-scale trough centered over the Northern Rockies. At the surface, South Central Nebraska resided just north of a west-east oriented front stretched near the Kansas border. As a low-amplitude disturbance entered southern Nebraska during the evening, this forcing combined with a very unstable airmass and increasing moisture convergence within the exit region of a 30-40 knot southerly low level jet to spark the MCS activity. By late-night standards, it was a fairly volatile mesoscale environment, featuring 2000-4000 J/kg most-unstable CAPE and 30-40 knots of deep-layer wind shear.

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 22:53:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: OXFORD
Magnitude: 83.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Winds gusting anywhere from 70 to 95 MPH resulted in damage in the Oxford area. The highest wind gust was 95 MPH, recorded at 11:57 PM CDT by a mesonet station located 1 mile north of Oxford, but this station also recorded a 73 MPH gust at 11:53 PM CDT. A 72 MPH wind gusts was measured at 11:54 PM CDT by a mesonet station located 5 miles north-northwest of Oxford. Tree damage was reported, and at least one power pole was snapped just south of Oxford. Debris from a nearby construction site was blown onto Highway 46.

Hail in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:04:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:04:00 (CST-6)
Location: LOOMIS
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Thunderstorm Wind in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:20:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: RAGAN
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 58 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 4 miles west-northwest of Ragan.

Thunderstorm Wind in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:29:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:29:00 (CST-6)
Location: RAGAN
Magnitude: 61.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 70 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 4 miles east of Ragan.

Thunderstorm Wind in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:37:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:37:00 (CST-6)
Location: NORMAN
Magnitude: 61.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH caused damage approximately 3 miles northeast of Upland. Extensive tree damage occurred, including a large tree branch falling through the roof of a house and branches pushed deep into the ground. A grain bin was also severely damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:38:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:38:00 (CST-6)
Location: HILDRETH
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 59 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located in Hildreth.

Thunderstorm Wind in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:40:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:45:00 (CST-6)
Location: AXTELL
Magnitude: 55.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 63 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 3 miles east-northeast of Axtell, with wind gusts of at least 60 MPH continuing east into the Minden area. These gusts caused tree damage across the area, with a power line downed across Highway 6 approximately 3 miles west of Minden and a handful of tree limbs, the largest being 8 to 10  inches in diameter, downed in Minden.

Thunderstorm Wind in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:46:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:46:00 (CST-6)
Location: BLADEN
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 59 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 1 mile east-southeast of Campbell.

Thunderstorm Wind in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:54:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:54:00 (CST-6)
Location: HEARTWELL
Magnitude: 83.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 96 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 1 mile west of Heartwell. The anemometer was mounted well above the ground at 35 to 40 feet on a windmill, with wind speeds at the surface likely not quite as strong as these recorded winds. Several trees were uprooted in the area.

Thunderstorm Wind in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:00:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: GIBBON
Magnitude: 62.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

A wind gust of 71 MPH was measured by a home weather station located 4 miles north of Gibbon.

Thunderstorm Wind in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:05:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:11:00 (CST-6)
Location: KENESAW
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Wind gusts estimated to be near 60 MPH resulted in some tree damage in the area. A 58 MPH wind gusts was measured at 1:11 AM CDT by a mesonet station located 3 miles southwest of Prosser.

Thunderstorm Wind in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:09:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: JUNIATA
Magnitude: 59.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Widespread wind gusts of 60 to 65 MPH were reported in and around Hastings, with a few higher measured gusts. A wind gust of 68 MPH was measured at 1:09 AM CDT by a mesonet station located 3 miles east-southeast of Juniata, and a gust of 67 MPH was measured at 1:18 AM CDT by a mesonet station located 4 miles east-southeast of Hastings. There were numerous reports of tree limbs, at least some larger than 6 inches in diameter, downed across the area. Some trees were uprooted, including southwest of Hastings at Southern Hills Golf Course. A power line was knocked down across 12th Street in Hastings.

Lightning in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:25:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:25:00 (CST-6)
Location: FARWELL
Property damage: 90.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A lightning strike resulted in a fire that damaged a portion of the Farwell Fire Hall.

Thunderstorm Wind in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 23:58:00 to 20-JUN-19 23:58:00 (CST-6)
Location: NORMAN
Magnitude: 65.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 75 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 1 mile north-northeast of Norman.

Thunderstorm Wind in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:26:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:26:00 (CST-6)
Location: INLAND
Magnitude: 65.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 75 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located 3 miles northwest of Inland.

Thunderstorm Wind in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:30:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: HARVARD
Magnitude: 56.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Wind gusts were estimated to be at least 65 MPH across the area. Numerous small tree limbs were downed. Isolated larger limbs were downed, up to 8 to 10 inches in diameter in Clay Center, with a limb closer to 15 inches in diameter in Harvard that fell onto a house.

Thunderstorm Wind in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:35:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: GRAND IS
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Wind gusts estimated to be near 60 MPH resulted in some tree limbs around 3 inches in diameter being downed.

Thunderstorm Wind in YORK, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 01:30:00 to 21-JUN-19 01:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: WACO
Magnitude: 56.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A 64 MPH wind gust was measured by a mesonet station located in Waco.

Hail in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 03:10:00 to 21-JUN-19 03:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOLLINGER
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 03:10:00 to 21-JUN-19 03:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: NELSON
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Thunderstorm Wind in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 04:50:00 to 21-JUN-19 04:50:00 (CST-6)
Location: DAVENPORT
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 60 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located in Davenport.

Flood in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 03:00:00 to 21-JUN-19 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: CAMBRIDGE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Rain fell in two major spurts. The first of the heavy rain fell roughly between 10:30 PM CDT on June 20th to 12:30 AM CDT June 21st. The second round of heavy rain fell roughly between 3:30 AM CDT and 5 AM CDT on June 21st. The flooding likely started in earnest with the second round of rain, after the ground had been saturated from the first round. Lots of standing water was causing lowland flooding south of Arapahoe, reported by a trained spotter. A 24-hour rainfall total from a cooperative observer one mile east of Cambridge was 3.96 inches, with most of this falling within the two rounds of heavy rain mentioned earlier.

Thunderstorm Wind in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:35:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:36:00 (CST-6)
Location: PHILLIPS
Magnitude: 70.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Wind gusts estimated to be near 80 MPH resulted in significant damage to a farm south-southwest of Phillips. Three hog barns and two pole barns were damaged or destroyed. Metal pieces were blown into trees and also spread out about a quarter of a mile. Some tree damage occurred at a nearby residence. An irrigation pivot was also overturned.

Thunderstorm Wind in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 04:57:00 to 21-JUN-19 04:57:00 (CST-6)
Location: SUPERIOR
Magnitude: 58.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 67 MPH was measured by a mesonet station located at the Superior Airport.

Flood in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 22-JUN-19 06:00:00 to 22-JUN-19 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: DESHLER
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Water was over a gravel road two miles east north east of Byron. Also, a drainage culvert was partially washed out about one quarter of a mile north of Road D and Road 5500 intersection. Also, a bridge was washed out on Road 6100, south of Road G, also known as Stoddard Road. Also, water from Dry Creek was over Road 6200, just north of Road G (Stoddard Road). A 31-hour rainfall total of 3.56 inches was reported between 12 AM CDT June 21st to 7 AM CDT June 22nd from a CoCoRaHS observer, 4 miles east southeast of Ruskin. Most of the rain fell between 1-7 AM CDT June 21st.

Hail in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 21:53:00 to 20-JUN-19 21:53:00 (CST-6)
Location: CAMBRIDGE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

A newspaper story wrote that a tremendous amount of mostly small hail occurred. Drifts of hail still existed at sunrise the following morning on June 21st. One farmer reported 800 to 900 acres of corn were destroyed northeast, east, and southeast of Cambridge. Corn was stripped, leaving just the stalks. Wheat that was not flattened was also damaged. Some of the larger stones near Cambridge were the size of quarters. Furnas County Emergency Management noted that significant crop damage occurred in a swath all the way from south of Cambridge to south of Arapahoe.

Thunderstorm Wind in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 21-JUN-19 00:14:00 to 21-JUN-19 00:14:00 (CST-6)
Location: PAULINE
Magnitude: 56.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

Wind gusts were estimated to be near 65 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 21:36:00 to 20-JUN-19 21:45:00 (CST-6)
Location: CAMBRIDGE
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 59 MPH was measured twice by a mesonet station located 2 miles north-northeast of Cambridge, once at 10:36 PM CDT and again at 10:45 PM CDT.

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 22:00:00 to 20-JUN-19 22:15:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOLBROOK
Magnitude: 70.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Wind gusts estimated to be near 80 MPH resulted in damage in the Holbrook area. South of town, the roof was partially torn off of a metal outbuilding. In town, tree limbs upwards of 6 inches in diameter were downed. Northeast of town, a grain bin and outbuilding were destroyed, a home suffered shingle damage and irrigation pipe was blown up to one-half mile away.

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 22:15:00 to 20-JUN-19 22:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: ARAPAHOE
Magnitude: 74.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Wind gusts estimated to be near 85 MPH resulted in damage in the Arapahoe area. There was significant tree damage in the area, with several large trees uprooted. South of town, several power poles were broken, and concrete markers were knocked over at the golf course.

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-JUN-19 22:35:00 to 20-JUN-19 22:40:00 (CST-6)
Location: EDISON
Magnitude: 78.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Wind gusts estimated to be near 90 MPH resulted in damage in the Edison area. An anemometer on a grain elevator measured a 72 MPH wind gust at 11:37 PM CDT. There were numerous reports of tree damage, with some large trees block roadways. The strongest winds were estimated to be north of town, where at least 3 power poles were snapped along Highway 136.