A Massive Storm Blanketed Nebraska In Snow In 1997 And It Will Never Be Forgotten
By Delana Lefevers|Published October 23, 2017
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
If you’ve been in Nebraska for a while, you’ll no doubt remember the massive, destructive snowstorm of 1997. It’s been more than 20 years since this insane storm that some scholars called a “200-year storm,” meaning that an event of this magnitude and these circumstances only comes around once every two centuries. Several states were affected by the storm, but Nebraska is said to have received the most severe damage.
We're no strangers to severe weather and massive snowfalls here in Nebraska. This storm, however, was far more severe than we could have expected. It was particularly early in the year, happening over the weekend of October 24-26th. It was as if we woke up to a whole different world in southeastern Nebraska.
The Lincoln and Omaha areas were hardest hit by the severe snowfall. In just two days, around 13 inches of snow fell - that's more than the average snowfall for the entire month of October. The unrelenting snow and strong winds resulted in many thousands of trees being destroyed or badly damaged. They simply couldn't support the intense weight of all that snow combined with the brutal wind speeds.
Trees blocked streets everywhere; if you were brave enough to try to travel in this mess, you had to change routes several times to find a route that wasn't blocked by enormous snowbanks and downed branches, or simply impassible due to the slick streets. Neighbors pulled together to clear the obstructions and make the roads passable, but even with their help - and the city crews working around the clock - many were stuck in their homes for days. Reports differ on how many people died in Nebraska as a result of the storm; some say two while others say five.
The monetary damage was extensive, with most estimates putting it in the $40 million - $70 million range. As many as 300,000 homes and businesses were left without power for days. Some had to live without electricity for up to 11 days. Schools in Lincoln closed for an entire week, businesses forgave employee absences and tardy arrivals, and the storm set several new records for southeastern Nebraska weather. It was the lowest recorded temperature in Lincoln for that date (8 degrees on October 27th) and the new precipitation record for the month was more than double the previous record (set in 1970).
We’ve all got our crazy stories from that storm…and we all hope to never see such a destructive storm again. What was your experience? Were you stuck inside or did you try to brave the weather and go about life as usual?
For another massive blizzard from the past, read this story from the archives.
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