A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska on Friday afternoon destroying homes and other structures as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. Injuries were reported but it wasn’t yet clear if anyone was killed in the storm.
Quick Read
- Destructive Tornado in Omaha: A severe tornado struck suburban Omaha, Nebraska, causing significant destruction to homes and other structures. The tornado journeyed from rural areas into suburban locales, leading to reported injuries, though fatalities were not immediately confirmed.
- Extent of Damage: Social media images displayed extensive damage with homes severely damaged and trees decimated. Videos captured the extent of the destruction, including homes with significant structural damage.
- Emergency Response: Authorities were seen assisting victims, with one woman being evacuated on a stretcher from a destroyed home in Blair, just north of Omaha. Roadblocks were set up to secure the affected areas.
- Medical and Emergency Services: The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency began assessing the damage. The University of Nebraska Medical Center had not reported receiving any injuries at the time of the statement.
- Earlier Tornado Impact: Prior to hitting the Omaha area, the tornado caused injuries at an industrial plant in Lancaster County, injuring three workers. The facility collapsed while housing approximately 70 employees, though all were evacuated with non-life-threatening injuries.
- Additional Incidents: Reports included a train being overturned near Waverly in Lancaster County due to the storm.
- Power Disruptions: The Omaha Public Power District reported significant power outages, affecting nearly 10,000 customers in the area.
- Wider Weather Threats: The National Weather Service issued tornado watches across several states including Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, with potential for large hail and damaging winds.
The Associated Press has the story:
Tornado tears through Nebraska, causing severe damage in Omaha suburbs
Newslooks- OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska on Friday afternoon destroying homes and other structures as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. Injuries were reported but it wasn’t yet clear if anyone was killed in the storm.
Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska but the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people.
Photos on social media showed heavily damaged homes and shredded trees. Video showed homes with roofs stripped of shingles, in a rural area near Omaha. Law enforcement were blocking off roads in the area.
KETV-TV video showed one woman being removed from a demolished home on a stretcher in Blair, a city just north of Omaha.
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Katrina Sperl said damage is just now being reported. Taylor Wilson, a spokesperson for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said they hadn’t seen any injuries yet.
Before the tornado hit the Omaha area, three workers in an industrial plant were injured Friday afternoon when a tornado struck an industrial plant in Lancaster County, sheriff’s officials said in an update on the damage.
The building just northeast of the state capital of Lincoln had collapsed with about 70 employees inside and several people trapped, sheriff’s officials said. Everyone was evacuated, and three people had injuries that were considered not life-threatening, authorities said.
Sheriff’s officials say they also had reports of a tipped-over train near Waverly, also in Lancaster County.
The Omaha Public Power District reported that nearly 10,000 customers were without power in the Omaha area.
The Weather Service also issued tornado watches across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. And forecasters warned that large hail and damaging wind gusts were possible.
