It was June 4 in Grand Island, Nebraska. At the local weather station the radar equipment picked up an approaching tornado, even before it touched down. The city’s warning sirens were turned on twenty minutes before the huge funnel cloud formations struck the city. During the next few minutes seven different tornadoes tore up 150 square blocks of the city. The destruction was almost unbelievable. House after house was destroyed; roofs were torn off, and at least one large motel was completely ruined.
Four people died, and 166 were hurt during the terrible storms. “The city’s tornado sirens were sounded,” said city attorney Keith Sinor. “It is likely that people didn’t heed them because the city has not had any bad tornadoes that anyone can remember. I suppose people stopped believing the sirens.”
Some did take the warning. Steve Bennett took his wife and two children to the safest place around—his basement. While they huddled together there, three tornadoes struck the house above them. Steve said, “There was a tremendous roar down the furnace pipes, and then there was a screech when the house was torn apart. It sounded like nails being pulled out of wet wood.” His neighbor’s house toppled on top of the Bennett’s car, but the Bennett family was in a safe place and escaped without injury.
“From the end of the earth
will I cry unto Thee, . . . lead me to
the rock that is higher than I.”