Tornado causes severe damage in Omaha suburbs, tears through Nebraska

Destructive tornado tears through Omaha suburbs, destroying homes and causing injuries. Airport closed, power outages reported, widespread damage seen.

A devastating tornado wreaked havoc on suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on a Friday afternoon, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The twister tore through farmland and into residential areas, destroying homes and other structures along its path. While injuries were reported, it was unclear at the time whether there were any fatalities as a result of the storm.

Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska, but the most destructive one moved from rural areas into the suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city with a population of 485,000. Social media images depicted heavily damaged homes and uprooted trees, while videos showed houses with roofs stripped of shingles in a rural area near Omaha. Law enforcement officials were seen blocking off roads in the affected area to ensure public safety.

In Blair, a city just north of Omaha, a woman was seen being rescued from a demolished home on a stretcher in footage captured by KETV-TV. Another tornado struck the western edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, leading to the closure of the airport for aircraft operations. Officials were assessing the damage in the area, with the Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer, Steve McCoy, confirming that the airport was closed and that flight delays were expected.

Following its path through the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River into Iowa, north of Council Bluffs. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency reported that damage assessments were still underway, with reports of destruction gradually coming in. Meanwhile, the University of Nebraska Medical Center had not yet received any reports of injuries.

Prior to hitting the Omaha area, an industrial plant in Lancaster County was struck by a tornado, resulting in injuries to three workers. The building, located just northeast of Lincoln, the state capital, collapsed with approximately 70 employees inside. Fortunately, everyone was safely evacuated, and the injuries sustained were deemed non-life-threatening. Additionally, reports surfaced of a train toppling over near Waverly, also in Lancaster County.

The Omaha Public Power District revealed that nearly 10,000 customers were without power in the Omaha region due to the storm. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, cautioning residents about the possibility of large hail and damaging wind gusts in the affected areas. The aftermath of the tornado left a trail of destruction and disruption, underscoring the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters.