Nebraska Family Shocked by 15-Minute Hail Storm That Left Them with $150k in Damages (Exclusive)
Chelsi Pettit and her family live in Omaha, Nebraska, and are used to severe weather in the area
On April 17, 2025, after her husband returned home from work around 5:30 pm, the couple decided to seek shelter at Chelsi's parents' house
Following a 15-minute hail storm, both their houses experienced damage they had never encountered before
A family living outside Omaha is sharing their story after a violent hail storm tore through their town, leaving a path of destruction and triggering a viral TikTok with over 44 million views.
The severe thunderstorm and tornados moved in on April 17, 2025, transforming a calm evening into chaos within a matter of minutes for those located in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
80 mph wind gusts and hailstones larger than baseballs smashed windows and vehicles, tore apart trees and roofs, and left people seeking immediate shelter.
'It was extremely loud. It sounded like gunshots going off in every direction,' Chelsi Pettit tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Severe weather alerts had been issued throughout the week, warning of potential tornadoes, large hail and dangerous winds. Without a basement of their own, Pettit and her husband – both lifelong Nebraskans – decided to seek shelter at her parents' house.
'The day the storm hit, we knew it was going to be bad when we found out there were many storm chasers and the Dominator 3 in our town,' the 23-year-old reveals.
Taking precautions, her family and their pets moved to the basement and waited. The storm began around 6:15 p.m. and lasted roughly 15 minutes, according to Pettit.
Despite lasting only a short time, the storm left a deep emotional impact. 'We were terrified [by] how loud it was, we witnessed most things outside become shredded,' she recalls. 'I remember feeling very emotional about my childhood home being ruined. It also devastated me to think about all the livestock and wildlife that didn't have shelter in such an aggressive storm.'
The scale of destruction was impossible to miss. At her parents' house, the storm damaged windows, the roof, gutters, outdoor lights and plants around the property. Her own home was hit just as hard, with further damage to personal items inside the bedroom, such as their bed and clothing.
Related: Family Living in Tornado Alley Shows Off 'Fun and Functional' Storm Shelter After They Were Hit by 2012 Storm (Exclusive)
Although the Pettits have yet to find out how much it will cost to fix their home, her parents received an estimate of around $150,000 in damage to their property.
'This was the worst hail storm we have ever seen, my parents both agreed as well,' she shares. 'We have all seen hail before, but never this size in person and accompanied by such extreme winds.'
The clean-up process is ongoing despite it being over a week since the storm hit. 'We have the inside of our home cleaned up, but the work outside will be a long haul,' Pettit explains. 'There are endless amounts of debris everywhere. Windows that shattered still have plywood over them, but will hopefully be repaired soon.'
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She and her husband live outside the city limits, where they have a large yard and plenty of outdoor space — something they've always taken great pride in maintaining. For her, one of the hardest parts of the aftermath has been seeing all their hard work destroyed.
'We both are very used to severe weather. We've always been told to prepare for the worst, but most of the time a storm doesn't end up being as bad as planned or misses us entirely,' Pettit tells PEOPLE.
She and her family plan to take extra precautions moving forward and intend to keep a much closer eye on developing storms in the future.
'Although this hail storm was the worst we have ever seen or experienced, we are extremely thankful it wasn't any worse,' Pettit admits. 'Our animals and lives are safe, and we still have a home that is standing. Homes can be fixed, and plants can be replaced. We learned a huge lesson to stay on top of the weather and always prepare for the worst.'
Read the original article on People
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