The severe weather event most significantly affected the state of Nebraska, where twin EF4 tornadoes [5] killed two and critically injured twenty others in and around the town of Pilger on the evening of June 16.

[11] Beginning at around 0800 UTC, however, favorable conditions for severe weather, particularly for large hail, began to build across central Nebraska.

Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico began to make its way into southern Nebraska and over Kansas, raising dew points over the region.

[14] This was followed shortly after by the day's first severe thunderstorm watch, issued for primarily eastern Nebraska in response to a developing line of supercells.

[17] At 1613 UTC, the SPC issued the first of three public severe weather outlooks for the day, covering a region centered on Sioux City, Iowa.

[21] Later that day, an EF3 tornado caused significant damage in rural areas of Carter County, Montana near the Custer National Forest.

[25] On the night of June 18, an EF2 tornado hit the South Dakota town of Wessington Springs, trapping some of its residents in their homes.

This violent tornado family was spawned by a powerful cyclic supercell thunderstorm that affected five counties in northeastern Nebraska.

As the tornado passed west of Stanton and grew into a large wedge, barns were destroyed and swept away at EF2 intensity and power poles were snapped.

[77] Farther north of town, the tornado weakened slightly to EF2 strength as a house had its roof torn off, a semi-truck was flipped, and several outbuildings were destroyed.

[77] The tornado then became violent, striking Pilger directly at EF4 strength, killing one person, injuring many others, and damaging or destroying most structures in town.

Numerous brick buildings in the downtown area were heavily damaged or destroyed, and trees throughout the town were denuded and debarked.

Vehicles were lofted in this area, over 300 cattle in nearby herds were killed, and a fatality occurred as the second tornado tossed a car from a road.

This large wedge tornado quickly reached EF4 strength soon after touching down, moving east as it cleanly swept away a farm home.

Continuing due-north, the tornado maintained EF2 strength as it tore roofs off of multiple homes and destroyed numerous barns and outbuildings.