Monday storm hits Wausa hard; Village declares state of emergency

WAUSA – The village of Wausa has declared a state of emergency in light of a severe thunderstorm that blew through the community on July 10.

According to the village’s July 11 letter to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Wausa “has suffered from a disastrous wind/rain/hailstorm” that occurred approximately 4:30-8 p.m., including knocking out power for a while.

The storm caused “severe damage to public and private property, disruption of utility service and endangerment of health and safety of the citizens of Knox County within the disaster area,” according to the village’s letter.

The village board of trustees’ regular monthly meeting had been scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

July 10, but was postponed to the same time on July 12 due to the stormy weather.

Trucks pulling trailers of tree branches and the whirring sounds of chainsaws could be heard the morning of July 11 throughout Wausa as residents worked under a calm blue sky to clean up the mess the storm left behind.

Wausa’s Thabor Lutheran Church lost its steeple and suffered other damage due to the winds that the storm brought, with the National Weather Service in Omaha estimating them at more than 70 miles per hour.

There also were trees and tree limbs that fell down on houses and were scattered along streets throughout the community, as well as at Gladstone Park.