Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

"It was blue skies," Darin Schneider told the Norfolk Daily News. "Then my wife called, and 10 seconds later, everything went quiet."

What started as a quiet day fishing for Schnieder, a resident of Stanton, Nebraska, near Pilger, became a near-death experience. He was fishing at Maskenthine Lake near his home on Monday evening when two twisters swept through town. To stay safe, he took shelter on a bridge over the lake — holding on to a steel beam for dear life. 

"It picked up my lower torso when it came through," he told the paper. "But I gripped my legs back to the beam and got my bearings." He added that the storm "felt like forever," but in just 30 seconds, the tornado was gone.

(Click here for full storm coverage)

"I was scared as hell," he said. "But if I wasn't near the bridge, and I tried to make a mad dash for safety, I wouldn't have made it."

The storm left "total devastation" in Pilger, a village of about 380 people. At least two people are dead following the storms, including a 5-year-old girl. A third fatality occurred just east of Pilger, but officials told NBC News they were still investigating to determine whether the traffic death was related to the tornado. At least 19 other individuals were hospitalized, according to The Association Press.

Gov. Dave Heineman declared a state of emergency, allowing the National Guard to be deployed into the area, according to KMTV. Pilger was evacuated for the night, and residents were bused a local Red Cross Shelter in nearby Wisner, Omaha.com reported, with residents returning to the town Tuesday.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Photos of the Destruction