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Eighty-one Seconds: The Attack and Aftermath as Tornadoes Hit Pilger, Stanton, Wakefield and Wisner, Nebraska
Eighty-one seconds. That’s all the time it took a diabolical tornado to crash through Pilger, Nebraska, on June 16, 2014, destroying more than 40 percent of its homes plus its business district.
Eighty-one seconds. That’s all the time it took for a tornado to destroy farms of the same size on the same day throughout the countryside near Stanton, Pilger, Wisner and Wakefield, Nebraska.
Four tornadoes, intent on destruction, were even more infamous that day because two were twins, spawned simultaneously from the same supercell. One charged through Pilger and its sister dropped down to begin its rampage just east of the community.
Eighty-one The Attack and Aftermath as Tornadoes Hit Pilger, Stanton, Wakefield and Wisner, Nebraska, gives first-hand accounts of the direct hits and near misses of June 16th, along with the aftermath to follow. With information derived from more than 200 interviews with victims, rescuers and volunteers in hand, you’ll see the kind of havoc four tornadoes can produce in 81 swift—but eternal—seconds of time.
Eighty-one seconds. That’s all the time it took for a tornado to destroy farms of the same size on the same day throughout the countryside near Stanton, Pilger, Wisner and Wakefield, Nebraska.
Four tornadoes, intent on destruction, were even more infamous that day because two were twins, spawned simultaneously from the same supercell. One charged through Pilger and its sister dropped down to begin its rampage just east of the community.
Eighty-one The Attack and Aftermath as Tornadoes Hit Pilger, Stanton, Wakefield and Wisner, Nebraska, gives first-hand accounts of the direct hits and near misses of June 16th, along with the aftermath to follow. With information derived from more than 200 interviews with victims, rescuers and volunteers in hand, you’ll see the kind of havoc four tornadoes can produce in 81 swift—but eternal—seconds of time.
- GenresNonfiction
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2015
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59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 28, 2017
I am glad that the residents of the Pilger, Wisner, and Stanton areas were able to share their stories of June 16, 2014. The stories themselves are incredible. This book will be very useful to local historians, future genealogists, and the families involved. The writing, however, leaves much to be desired. It reads more like a report or transcript than the story I think it was meant to be. The author mixed the stories together in a very confusing way. She assumes her readers will know who the people are and where each home and farm is located. I was constantly having to go back and reread sections because one moment I was reading about one family and farm, then suddenly without transition I was with another family and location. Since the stories are very similar in many ways I was so confused. Besides the writing being very choppy and incoherent, the adjectives were a little over the top. Honestly, it was very distracting and took away from the stories themselves. I think this had great potential, but really is just a very, very long report.
February 20, 2022
I care very deeply about the content of this book and am glad it was written. The author collected stories that are worth telling. The goodness of people in the aftermath is well documented and refreshing to read.
Much of the book is slow reading. It’s a collection of stories that reads like newspaper articles. Many of the stories are very similar. It’s easy to kind of zone out, which feels unfair to the victims. So it took me several weeks to get through this book.
Knowledge of NE Nebraska geography in detail is also almost a prerequisite.
Much of the book is slow reading. It’s a collection of stories that reads like newspaper articles. Many of the stories are very similar. It’s easy to kind of zone out, which feels unfair to the victims. So it took me several weeks to get through this book.
Knowledge of NE Nebraska geography in detail is also almost a prerequisite.
July 14, 2021
A very thorough book
The author did an excellent job of covering the events, damage, recovery processes and human interest accounts in this book. The accounts of the EF4 tornadoes was riveting, and the aftermath interesting and thorough.
She did am excellent job in maintaining event chronology, and an excellent job in imparting how all the voluntary organizations worked in harmony. A fabulous job done by the author. The writing style was concise, clear and very organized.
The author did an excellent job of covering the events, damage, recovery processes and human interest accounts in this book. The accounts of the EF4 tornadoes was riveting, and the aftermath interesting and thorough.
She did am excellent job in maintaining event chronology, and an excellent job in imparting how all the voluntary organizations worked in harmony. A fabulous job done by the author. The writing style was concise, clear and very organized.
February 23, 2020
Book read like a well-written horror novel with descriptive language to describe, almost sardonically, the timing, events, destruction, and aftermath of the tornadoes that ripped through that area. Having been there recently to visit family and reading first hand accounts of the events, made it even more fascinating. I am so grateful that more people were not hurt.
May 22, 2022
Poorly written
Interesting stories, but it drags and Florida is not even the word for the writing. Give it a rest already.
Interesting stories, but it drags and Florida is not even the word for the writing. Give it a rest already.
November 1, 2016
A bit hyperbolic re tornadoes having human-like motivations, then again, should one be barreling toward you and yours while skipping others, you may tend to think of them as having somewhat evil intentions.
There are a few meteorological nit-pics; one example (pg 60) "... Mexico has no tornadoes ..."
On the whole, this is a fine account of an extraordinary tornadic event and how it affected the lives of everyone involved, from victims to search and rescue, into the enormity of relief and recovery.
There are a few meteorological nit-pics; one example (pg 60) "... Mexico has no tornadoes ..."
On the whole, this is a fine account of an extraordinary tornadic event and how it affected the lives of everyone involved, from victims to search and rescue, into the enormity of relief and recovery.
October 31, 2015
LaRayne tops account of a 81 seconds that destroyed Pilger, Stanton, Wakefield, and Wisner Nebraska, read more like a news account then a story. This made the book very hard to get through. The last three chapters have more connections with the reader in the previous chapters. A good book for facts but was looking more of a human interest side.
May 11, 2016
A tornado crashed through Pilger, Nebraska, on June 16, 2014, destroying close to half the town.
LaRayne Topp records in detail the events of that day. The words she uses puts you in the path of the destruction and makes you feel as though you were there.
LaRayne Topp records in detail the events of that day. The words she uses puts you in the path of the destruction and makes you feel as though you were there.
June 14, 2016
Excellent read about a natural disaster that brought out the best in people.
April 21, 2017
Not bad, but it's more like a really long newspaper article than a book. I didn't feel like there was a narrative through the whole book. And it was a little jumpy - back and forth from person to person. It needs more emotion and more cohesiveness. Other than that it was a good read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews