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Dundy County road crews rebuild a bridge and road east of Benkelman. An REA crew followed behind to reset power poles.

DUNDY COUNTY --"We watched it building all day," said Benkelman city employee Mike Clark. "It was huge, and went from black, to blue."

"They said it was moving north," Clark said, "but it didn't."

Dundy County residents reported anywhere from four to 11 inches of rain and grapefruit-sized hail from that monstrous late summer storm Monday.

John Glasco picks up the wind-scattered remains of his father-in-law's storage shed south of Stratton.

Dry pastures and cropland couldn't soak up the hard-falling, wind-driven rain, and canyons, county roads and highways turned into raging rivers. Trees snapped in the wind, and leaves coated city streets. When the clouds cleared, residents found lots of damage. Hillsides have been scoured by rushing water that also gouged deep gullies in bare fields. Barbed wire fences snagged debris, and floating tree limbs, dried weeds and soggy cornstalks packed against bridge pilings.

Imagine ... mud puddles, everywhere.

City of Benkelman employee Jerry Mathews clears a fallen Russian elm.