Large, destructive tornadoes tore through eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa on Friday afternoon and evening, part of a multiday outbreak of severe storms expected to continue through the weekend.
Howling winds swept through parts of the cities of Omaha — where at least 50 homes were significantly damaged — and Des Moines, resulting in a terrifying night for residents but no reported fatalities as of late Friday. Authorities credited advance warnings and preparedness for the low number of casualties.
Three people near Lincoln, Neb., and two in Omaha, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Becky Kern, warning coordinating meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Omaha, said the first tornado report came in at 2:43 p.m. local time, and twisters have since caused widespread and extensive damage.
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At 3:41 p.m., the Weather Service declared a tornado emergency for a “confirmed large and destructive tornado” near Elkhorn, just a few miles west of Omaha, where serious damage was reported. “This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!” the Weather Service warned.
At 3:51 p.m., the emergency warning was extended into Bennington, about seven miles to the northeast.
Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said in a news conference about 10 p.m. Friday that about 50 properties had sustained significant damage and that an emergency shelter had been set up for displaced residents.
In an earlier news conference, shared by the Omaha World-Herald, she said it appeared many houses in the city’s west had been “flattened.” Emergency crews were first dispatched to affected neighborhoods about 3:50 p.m.
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Two people were transported with minor injuries, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said in the joint news conference.
“People had warning of this, and that saved lives,” he said.
There was property damage, including private planes at Eppley Airfield, known as Omaha Airport, he added.
Authorities will conduct detailed searches of affected neighborhoods throughout the night, Bossman said.
“We do have houses destroyed, so we need to make sure we check all of those houses for any injured people,” Schmaderer said.
About 50 miles southwest of Omaha, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said that about 3 p.m. deputies went to a plastics manufacturer, Garner Industries, near Lincoln in response to a building being hit by a tornado. Upon arriving, they found the building had collapsed and several people were trapped inside. They evacuated the building, and three people were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. About 70 employees were inside when the tornado hit.
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“We are so thankful no one was seriously injured,” the sheriff’s office said.
Share this articleShareThe sheriff’s office also received reports of a tipped-over train near the town of Waverly, northeast of Lincoln, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin told a news conference.
Kendall Sloan, director of external communications at freight railroad company BNSF, said in an email that a tornado struck the train about 3.25 p.m. and derailed multiple cars. There were no injuries or hazardous materials released, she said, adding that BNSF personnel are working to clear the incident.
At 4:15 p.m., the tornado emergency was extended to areas near the border with Iowa, as the giant twister moved northeast at 30 mph. “Considerable damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible,” the Weather Service warned.
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As the tornado swept into southwest Iowa over the next hour, the Weather Service declared additional tornado emergencies, including for Harlan and Minden, where storm-chaser video revealed a massive wedge-shaped funnel. Storm chaser footage also revealed severe damage in Minden, a town of about 600 people northeast of Omaha.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) late Friday approved a disaster emergency proclamation for Pottawattamie County, where Minden is located, and shared aerial video on social media of what appeared to be entire residential blocks in ruins.
Around this time, a separate tornado was also spotted at Eppley Airfield, which was closed at 5:08 p.m., before resuming operations at 5:59 p.m. One passenger obtained footage of the twister through the window of a plane on the airport’s tarmac. The airfield posted to X that the passenger terminal was unaffected by the twister and that there were no injuries but that a number of buildings on the east side of the airport property were damaged.
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The arcing band of rotating thunderstorms swung from Omaha to Des Moines into the evening, and meteorologists warned it could extend as far south as Kansas City.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines around 8:30 p.m. urged residents to take cover immediately, warning that a tornado was on the ground near Pleasant Hill and heading northeast.
About 9 p.m., the Des Moines Police Department said that officers on the street reported zero visibility at times, along with strong winds and heavy rains, but no reports of storm-related significant damage or injuries. A tornado warning remained in place in the city until at least 11:45 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
There were also tornadoes in Kansas on Friday afternoon, near Fredonia, Yates Center and Iola in the state’s southeast, the National Weather Service said.
On Saturday, storms will potentially be more widespread, with at least some risk of severe weather from northern Michigan to the Texas-Mexico border. A tornado is possible anywhere within that zone, but the risk is highest between north Texas and southeast Kansas, including Oklahoma City, where intense tornadoes could form.
The active storm pattern in the central states doesn’t look to ease for at least a few more days, and even that is not a guarantee. Small disturbances in the jet stream could trigger additional rounds of storms, albeit more localized, into next week.
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