Nebraska News

Hallam Virtually Destroyed By Tornado

Village of 275 is leveled

May 24, 2004

HALLAM – The devastation is so great. How will people begin to rebuild?

“From the ground up,” according to Gov. Mike Johanns.

A tornado, one of the deadliest and most powerful things in nature, virtually destroyed this community of some 275 in southern Lancaster County.

Aerial photos of the community showed i t looked like the target of a bombardment.

The storm roared through the town Saturday night. It was an “F3” on a scale that goes to “F5.” Homes were broken like toothpick models, railroad cars were knocked over and trees were uprooted and tossed about the landscape.

Johanns quickly issued a disaster declaration. State and federal assistance will be made available. The National Guard and Red Cross reacted quickly.

Residents were evacuated to a Lincoln high school after the storm.

On Monday, residents and some repair workers were allowed to return to the tiny village.

Neighbors helped neighbors, and help was offered from those in other communities.

Mercifully, the storm apparently claimed just one life. Authorities said Elaine Focken, 73, was killed by flying debris before she could reach the safety of her basement.

In some ways, it was a blow of immeasurable proportion to a community that calls itself “The Little Town With A Big Heart.”

To read a community history of Hallam click here.

Many longtime residents must decide whether to rebuild their homes and business, or forsake the devastation and make a life elsewhere.

Hallam is a village in a farm country 20 miles southwest of Lincoln, and one mile north of Gage County line. To see a map of Hallam click here.

Hallam wasn’t alone in taking a beating from storms, although no other town suffered comparable damage.

Several communities saw homes destroyed, field flooded, downed powerlines and other property damage.

Storm damage was reported in Furnas, Webster, Adams, Clay, Thayer, Fillmore, Saline, Gage, Lancaster and Cass counties.