MULLEN, Neb. — A Sandhills family is beginning the long process of cleaning up after a tornado ripped through their property just north of Mullen on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind damaged buildings, scattered debris, and a close call for one family member.

College student Ashlyn Simonson had just left her parents’ home for work when she noticed something strange.

“I rolled my windows down because my car was hot, and then the wind started blowing, so I rolled my windows up,” Ashlyn said. “I thought, ‘Crazy wind today.’”

But what happened next was anything but typical.

“Then I saw the funnel,” she said.

As she reached the top of a nearby hill, Ashlyn encountered a group of national storm chasers who were tracking the tornado.

“They went, ‘Wow. You just drove through a tornado.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I know,’” Ashlyn said.

The tornado damaged her parents’ house, flipped trailers, knocked down trees, and destroyed a couple of buildings on the property.

“It wasn’t a very big tornado, but it causes a lot of damage in a hurry,” said her father, Aaron Simonson.

One shed was completely destroyed, while a playground set just a short distance away remained untouched.

“Neighbors said they tracked the storm over this hill, and it kind of just fizzled out. I think it’s the only place hit,” Aaron said.

Friends and neighbors have been stopping by to lend a hand, and the Simonsons’ college-age children, including son Sean, are also home to help.

“It wasn’t as bad as I expected,” Sean said. “But I was thinking the tarp building didn’t take a tornado very well.”

The storm caused thousands of dollars in damage, with debris blown across nearby pastures.

“There’s pieces in that pasture that are a quarter mile, half mile away,” said Aaron.

Still, the family is grateful no one was hurt—and Ashlyn now has a story she won’t forget.

“I went into work, and everyone was pretty excited to talk to me,” Ashlyn said. “Ha. Pretty popular.”

What began as a routine summer afternoon ended with a reminder of how quickly life in the Sandhills can shift—from calm to chaos in a matter of minutes.