Weather service rates Thursday's Lake McConaughy twisters at EF-1 and EF-2

LAKE MCCONAUGHY, Neb. - Friday afternoon homeowners, crews from Midwest Electric and construction companies were working to restore power, clean up and make repairs to homes damaged in severe storms at Lake McConaughy in Keith County on Thursday evening. 

Only a few interior walls remained of the house owned by Dan Jebens at Lakeview Estates on the north side of Highway 92 east of Lemoyne. The house and an outbuilding were destroyed by an EF-2 tornado that reached a peak wind speed of 130 mph, according to the National Weather Service office in North Platte.

Jebens, who was not in the summer home at the time of the storm, is evaluating what to do next.

A roof to a building in the North Shore neighborhood was a complete loss when an EF-1 tornado hit a peak wind speed of 90 mph. The weather service said the twister uprooted several large cottonwood trees, including one tree falling on a vehicle. A second EF-1 tornado developed in an open prairie east of North Shore, flattening grass and fence lines. 

Two campers were flipped in another tornado, with a peak wind speed of 70 mph, along the northern beach east of North Shore and south of the Lakeview neighborhoods.

In total, 22 buildings were destroyed and 39 homes were damaged in the pre-holiday weekend storm. The stud walls of a new home under construction were flattened and boats were tossed against buildings. No injuries were reported. 

The Nebraska Game and Parks announced Friday the state recreation area would remain open for the Memorial Day weekend. 

The supercell thunderstorms initiated across the southern Nebraska panhandle along a cold front and dryline. These storms quickly strengthened and moved east into Keith County. The severe weather also produced damaging winds and large hail.

Joe Arterburn contributed to this story.