See it: Monster hail blasted by 70 mph wind leaves car in ruins alongside Nebraska highway
FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic found what was left of the vehicle about few miles outside of McCook as a supercell blasted the area with hailstones estimated over 3 inches in diameter, according to the National Weather Service.
Hail storm leaves damaged car along Nebraska highway
FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic says hail of over 3 inches in diameter slammed the McCook, Nebraska area leaving one car with significant damage.
McCOOK, Neb. -- A car suffered significant damage when it was caught in a massive hail storm in southern Nebraska Tuesday evening.
FOX Weather Storm Tracker Brandon Copic found what was left of the vehicle about few miles outside of McCook as a supercell blasted the area with hailstones estimated over 3 inches in diameter, according to the National Weather Service.
"I've actually passed two snow plows out here plowing the roads from all the hail," Copic said.
Massive hailstorm leaves car in ruin along Nebraska highway
Hail stones over 3" in diameter slammed southern Nebraska Tuesday, leaving one car with significant damage.
HOW LARGE IS ‘GOLF BALL’-SIZED HAIL, AND OTHER HAIL MEASUREMENTS
Video from Copic showed the car with a bashed-in windshield showing scars of dozens of large hailstone strikes. The driver's side window was also fractured, while a rear passenger window was missing. In addition, the car showed significant dents and body damage to the driver's side doors. Both headlights also suffered damage.
"The vehicle was just absolutely obliterated by hail," Copic said. "We definitely had hail at least softball size, potentially some larger. But we also had winds in excess of 70 mph at times, too. So the person in that vehicle was really just dealing with a lot of wind driven, very large hail."
Copic said the drivers did the right thing by pointing the car into the wind.
"Whenever you are in wind-driven and large hail, try to stay as close to the center part of the vehicle as you can, and try and point the nose of your vehicle into the wind," he said. "The windshield is going to be the most sustainable part or most sustainable piece of glass in your vehicle. It's made for those more wind-driven type impacts."
Copic says your windshield might not survive the storm, as that vehicle in Nebraska illustrated. "But I can tell you for a fact, the nose of that vehicle was pointed into the wind and into the largest hail. And that was the best possible outcome from that situation that they were doing the right thing by stopping and pointing into it. And it was their safest aspect too, even though the vehicle was absolutely decimated by hail."
Severe Thunderstorm Watches remained in effect for much of western Nebraska and northwestern Kansas until 10 p.m. CT. Tuesday.