Dodge County farmer picking up the pieces after Friday’s storm

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A major storm system moved through parts of Nebraska on Friday, spurring 50 tornado warnings—the highest number issued in one day in Nebraska since 1986.

Just after 5 p.m., gusts of wind and darkening clouds signaled something severe in the air northeast of North Bend in Dodge County.

Daryl Brodd, a mail carrier and farmer, watched as a funnel curled toward the ground and moved, unstoppably, toward his property. He made sure his family and two dogs got into shelter underground.

When he stepped outside, he saw something he said he’ll never forget: total devastation. Windows and walls shredded. Massive storage buildings whipped into debris.

“We took cover in the basement with two dogs, and we’re all okay,” Brodd said. “The rest of it is stuff, so we’ll get through it.”

That evening and the next morning, volunteers started streaming in. Some were friends and family. But some like, Austin Wambold, didn’t even know the family.

“We’re going to try to organize people through our church and just get as many teams of people as we can and just get people out here,” Wambold said.

Just a mile down Country Road 13, a row of power lines were ripped to the ground and irrigation pivots were flipped over in water-logged fields. It was familiar sight in spots across Dodge County. Teams with the National Weather Service went out to the county to survey damages.

Brodd and his family have to stay in a camper outside their home until they get their walls repaired. He says the damage is overwhelming.

“I can’t say enough about friends and family because, yeah, they were here before it was over,” Brodd said.

Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved.