Last Monday, Lincoln enjoyed a massive windstorm.
No actual tornadoes were spotted, but the wind was gusting to at least 90 miles per hour. It knocked over three semis on the interstate between Lincoln and Omaha, put out power in many Lincoln and Omaha neighborhoods, and completely ripped off the roof of at least one large building.
I happened to be walking to my car from a lab I’d been teaching when the storm blew up. I snapped some pictures before the wind started in earnest.
Below you can see a picture taken facing northeast as the storm advanced from the west. This was before the storm had truly blown in.
This next picture was taken facing due north, where you can clearly see the black clouds of the advancing storm.
Less than a minute after I had taken these photos, the temperature dropped by five to ten degrees and the wind (which had been brisk but manageable) suddenly began pelting me with debris from the road and the neighborhoods west of campus. I was thankful that the bulk of the rain held off until I had reached my car–there was no way I could have held my umbrella against the wind.