The aftermath: rebuilding
When seven tornadoes converged on Grand Island the night of June 3, 1980, no one immediately knew for certain the extent of the power they brought.

'You never heard such a roar'
Deputy emergency management director recalls her experiences
Grand Island/Hall County Deputy Emergency Management Director Therese Muchow has worked during many tornado warnings since starting her job in May 1979, but her experiences on June 3, 1980, remain fresh in her mind.

An extraordinary image
Gartner's photo is a rare shot during an uncommon night
In all the Grand Island lore and trivia, Rod Gartner has his own special place. Gartner, now 43, snapped the only photo ever printed of some of the tornadoes that ravaged Grand Island on that fateful night in June 1980.

'He was a genuine man'
Remembering President Carter's visit a week after the tornadoes
Seven days after seven tornadoes ripped through Grand Island on June 3, 1980, President Jimmy Carter came to survey the damage.

Independent still went to press
A few Grand Island Independent reporters had a reason to watch the clouds build in the northern sky on the night of June 3, 1980. Their softball team had a game that night, and each wondered if the game would become a rain-out.

'It was total darkness'
Police officer was injured helping out after '80 twisters
When the storms were brewing in 1980, officer Rick Ressel of the Grand Island Police Department was watching.

'The scariest thing I ever saw'
As dawn broke, there was nothing ominous about June 3, 1980. No earthly sign that something dark, sinister and furious was about to be unleashed on the Third City that day. I was a Grand Island-based reporter for KHAS-TV in Hastings and still getting my feet wet as a broadcast journalist. I lived in a rented apartment on the 11th floor of the tallest building in town -- the Yancey Hotel. When I arrived home that evening, all that was on my agenda was couple of days of R&R. However, as it turned out, my time off was short-lived.

Meteorologists remember ...
'I've never seen anything like it,' says former NWS chief
When Don Davis came to work at the National Weather Service office at the Grand Island airport on June 3, 1980, little did he know that he would track the most severe storm ever to hit Grand Island.

The Fujita scale of tornadoes
Following is the Fujita Scale rating the intensity of tornadoes. It was developed by the late Dr. Ted Fujita, "Mr. Tornado," with the help of Allen Pearson, former director of the National Severe Storm Forecast Center in Norman, Okla.

NWS forecast for June 3, 1980, called for a 20 percent chance of precipitation
Following were the National Weather Service forecasts for June 3, 1980, as printed in The Independent on Monday, June 2, and Tuesday, June 3:

Exact number of 1980 tornado injuries is unknown
The number of injuries suffered in the June 3, 1980 Grand Island tornadoes remains inexact even today.

Those trapped in bowling alley say it was a miracle they survived twister
Carri Ball cowered under a small sink, gripping the pipes with every bit of strength she could muster, hoping it would be enough to save her from the dark, angry beast descending from the sky.

Officers, firefighters describe tornado rescue efforts
Although many Grand Island residents retreated to their basements the night of June 3, 1980, firefighters, police and Hall County sheriff's deputies didn't.

Volunteers provide hope after twisters
"Disaster" is the lone headline appearing on the first page of an American Red Cross scrapbook filled with depictions of death, destruction and personal accounts of the June 3, 1980, tornadoes.

Red Cross volunteers recall 1980 storms
Local American Red Cross volunteers offered these personal accounts of the June 3, 1980, tornadoes.

Story of twisters lives on in book
Author to speak on anniversary
The author who familiarized more than 300,000 readers with Grand Island's June 3, 1980, tornadoes will speak Saturday at College Park.

Tornado Hill most visible reminder of June 3, 1980
Twenty years later, Tornado Hill is the most visible reminder of the devastating twisters that tore portions of Grand Island apart on June 3, 1980.

G.I.'s history makes news
Newell newspapers recall 1980 tornadoes
April 24, 2001
Headlines in the school hallway at Newell Elementary can quickly transport people back to a night nearly 21 years ago in Grand Island.