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main residence at this location suffered no damage. Several grain cars were also rolled about 100 yards into the trees behind the house. The large tornado continued to track northeast to a third farm to the north of Bowdle. The main residence suffered major damage to walls with part of the roof structure removed. Widespread tree damage was sustained with many of the trees completely debarked with only the stumps of the largest branches remaining. Two large garages were completely destroyed with the concrete slab wiped clean. The vehicles in one garage were rolled or tossed from 25 to 100 yards away. It is estimated that one vehicle flew through the air 75 to 100 yards resting in the tree shelter belt to the north of the residence. Several other outbuildings were completely destroyed. The tornado then toppled six to eight metal power transmission towers as it moved to the north of the farm. One tower was sheared off from the concrete footings and traveled an estimated 400 yards. Ground scouring was visible along the path of these towers. The large tornado continued to track east crossing over State Highway 47 where a state radio tower was toppled. The tornado lifted shortly thereafter. The highest wind speeds were estimated to be from 166 to 200 mph.

1893: Farms near Darlington, WI vanished as an F5 (estimated) tornado swept them away. Three people were killed.

1933: A multiple vortex tornado that was nearly a mile wide and probably an F5 killed 8 people near Tyron, NE. Six of the fatalities were from the same family.

1948: A rare early season hurricane struck Hispanola, killing an estimated 80 people.

1995: Cantaloupe sized hail was reported in Preston, KS.

1996: Collapsing nighttime thunderstorms in Oklahoma caused a large heat burst that made temperatures rise to over 100 degrees at midnight.

2004: Possibly the world's widest tornado, with a maximum width up to two and a half miles, struck Hallam, NE with F4 strength.

2011: Joplin, MO was struck by a devastating EF5 tornado that took 158 lives, making it the deadliest tornado since the Woodward Tornado in 1947. The tornado was half a mile wide and stayed on the ground for 7 miles, destroying a hospital.