A series of storms moving through the panhandle and southeast Wyoming resulted in the sighting of a number of tornadoes, heavy rain and hail. The storms have caused rural roads and fields to be flooded, and travel is not only not advised on Scotts Bluff County rural roads but also in the cities of Scottsbluff and Gering. The tornado that was most visible was west of Scottsbluff shortly after 1 p.m. Scottsbluff Police Captain Brian Wasson observed the tornado stay on the ground for about 45 seconds to a minute.

Wasson said he saw debris but did not observe damage to any property. The super cell continued to move east, dropping hail that covered fields north of Minatare and flooded fields and roads. There were reports of three to five inches of rain in some areas. A number of roads in northwestern Scotts Bluff County have five to six inches of water running over them. Nebraska Highway 62A from north of Bayard to the Highway 385 junction had six to ten inches of hail on it.

Meteorologist Don Day says the area is in line for storms throughout the night and for the rest of the week, admitting he was surprised storm watches didn't precede the warnings that were issued shortly before the storms moved in. But Day says the continuous cool weather the area has experienced recently doesn't usually produce the severe weather experienced today (Wednesday).