Large gustnado near Exeter, Nebraska
A large gustnado or landspout was spotted and recorded near Exeter, Nebraska on May 16, 2017. The event was followed by rain and pea-sized hail soon after.
Although there were no damage or injuries reported, the sight evoked horrible memories to Jerry and Theresa Boeck who recorded the event. Three years ago, they lost part of their business to the 2014 Mother's Day tornadoes in southeast Nebraska, the couple told 10/11 News. "I was just moments from getting my family and customers into the storm shelter," Jerry said.
Northeast of Exeter…followed by rain and pea-sized hail. @LukeDorrisKLKN @NWSHastings #NEwx pic.twitter.com/Duqim9n0es
— Boeck Seed Services (@BoeckSeed) May 16, 2017
A landspout, also known as gustnado, is a term coined by meteorologist Howard B. Bluestein in 1985 for a kind of tornado not associated with the mesocyclone of a thunderstorm.
It is a colloquial expression describing tornadoes occurring with a parent cloud in its growth stage and with its vorticity originating in the boundary layer. The parent cloud does not contain a preexisting midlevel mesocyclone. The landspout was so named because it looks like "a weak Florida Keys waterspout over land."
Landspouts can extend anywhere from 9 to 90 m (30 to 300 feet) above the surface and usually last a few seconds to a few minutes. They may have wind speeds of 96 – 129 km/h (60 to 80 mph) and may cause damage equivalent to an EF-0 or EF-1 tornado.
There are reports of landspouts that lasted for more than 15 minutes and those that produced an EF-3 tornado equivalent damage. However, most of them rarely produce damage.
Featured image: Landspout (gustnado) near Exeter, Nebraska on May 16, 2017. Credit: Jerry Boeck
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.