Tornadoes destroy several homes in Nebraska, Iowa
Devastating tornadoes struck the city of Omaha, Nebraska, and Iowa on Friday afternoon, damaging hundreds of homes and structures in both US states. Three people are reported to have been injured after being hit by the tornado.
Multiple tornadoes have been reported in at least five US states, with the most destructive storm moving from rural areas to suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city of 485,000.
Additionally, 19 other destructive tornadoes and 45 hailstorms were reported following the severe weather outbreak on Friday.
Photos and video on social media showed roofs blown off homes, homes destroyed and trees uprooted by the storm in rural areas near Omaha. Law enforcement blocked roads in the affected areas.
According to Omaha Police Lt. Neil Bonacci, hundreds of homes were damaged in Omaha, especially in the Elkhorn area on the western side of the city.
Meanwhile, police and fire personnel were conducting door-to-door searches to provide assistance to the stranded people.
Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Boseman said crews had gone to the “hardest-hit area” and planned to search anywhere anyone could be trapped.
“They are going to create a strategic plan for a detailed search of the area, starting with the properties with the most damage,” the AP quoted Boseman as saying.
Some homes in the Elkhorn neighborhood of Omaha suffered extensive damage, with newly constructed home structures destroyed or leveled.
Emergency vehicles surrounded the affected areas, with residents describing the impact of the tornado as devastating.
Pat Woods, another witness who lives in Elkhorn, said, “We saw it drop about 200 yards and then we took cover.” “We could hear it coming. When we came up, our fence was gone, and we looked northwest and the entire neighborhood was gone.
Three people, including a child, were in the basement when the tornado struck the demolished house, and they managed to escape to safety. According to Bonacci, only two people were taken for treatment with minor injuries. A local TV video showed a woman being carried out on a stretcher from a collapsed home in the town of Blair, north of Omaha.
After passing the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River into Iowa north of Council Bluffs.
Daniel Fienhold, manager of Pink Poodle Steakhouse in Crescent, Iowa, said he was outside with his daughter and restaurant staff watching the weather. “It looked like a huge tornado was forming northeast of the city,” he said.
Forecasters issued tornado warnings for Saturday for several states – including Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and parts of Texas – as well, warning of possible large hail and high winds.