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Bill O'Rights · 06-25-2003, 06:04 AM

Published Tuesday
June 24, 2003
<size=4>Hear the one about volleyball-size hail?</size>
BY HENRY J. CORDES
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

After getting reports of hailstones the size of volleyballs in Aurora, Neb., National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Wirth couldn't resist checking them out himself.
While he didn't find one quite that large, he was hardly disappointed. No matter what game you wanted to play, these stones were big.
One hailstone measured 61/2 inches in diameter and 173/8 inches in circumference. It's believed to be the biggest ever recorded in Nebraska and was just 1/8 inch less in circumference than the largest ever recorded nationally.
So large were these stones that they were leaving craters in the ground nearly a foot wide. One of the few that landed on a roof made a hole big enough for a man to crawl through.
"It was impressive," Wirth said of his visit to town Monday, one day after the storm that dropped the massive ice chunks in the south-central Nebraska town. "Even if they weren't as big as volleyballs, I'm sure the guy's eyeballs looked like volleyballs when they were falling down."
People in Aurora described the eerie scene Sunday as the massive balls of ice fell nearly straight down in the windless air and landed with audible thuds.
"I seen the first one come down, and I couldn't believe my eyes," said Dale Obermeier.
Surprisingly, the roof damage in Aurora was minor because the mega-hail was outnumbered, greatly, by pea-sized hail, said Marlin Hadenfeldt, an Aurora agent for State Farm Insurance.
But where the big stones did fall, they left an impression.
Wirth said he arrived in town and immediately was shown some of the craters 9 to 10 inches in diameter. Another crater was later found to measure nearly 14 inches in diameter. The stones that made them were long gone, broken up on impact and melted.

06-25-2003, 06:04 AM	#5 (permalink)
Bill O'Rights will always be an Alyson Hanniganite Location: In the dust of the archives	Published Tuesday June 24, 2003 <size=4>Hear the one about volleyball-size hail?</size> BY HENRY J. CORDES OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER After getting reports of hailstones the size of volleyballs in Aurora, Neb., National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Wirth couldn't resist checking them out himself. While he didn't find one quite that large, he was hardly disappointed. No matter what game you wanted to play, these stones were big. One hailstone measured 61/2 inches in diameter and 173/8 inches in circumference. It's believed to be the biggest ever recorded in Nebraska and was just 1/8 inch less in circumference than the largest ever recorded nationally. So large were these stones that they were leaving craters in the ground nearly a foot wide. One of the few that landed on a roof made a hole big enough for a man to crawl through. "It was impressive," Wirth said of his visit to town Monday, one day after the storm that dropped the massive ice chunks in the south-central Nebraska town. "Even if they weren't as big as volleyballs, I'm sure the guy's eyeballs looked like volleyballs when they were falling down." People in Aurora described the eerie scene Sunday as the massive balls of ice fell nearly straight down in the windless air and landed with audible thuds. "I seen the first one come down, and I couldn't believe my eyes," said Dale Obermeier. Surprisingly, the roof damage in Aurora was minor because the mega-hail was outnumbered, greatly, by pea-sized hail, said Marlin Hadenfeldt, an Aurora agent for State Farm Insurance. But where the big stones did fall, they left an impression. Wirth said he arrived in town and immediately was shown some of the craters 9 to 10 inches in diameter. Another crater was later found to measure nearly 14 inches in diameter. The stones that made them were long gone, broken up on impact and melted. __________________ "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt. Last edited by Bill O'Rights; 06-25-2003 at 06:23 AM..