Large tornadoes ripped through Eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa on Friday, downing power lines and leveling homes and other structures in the Plains. A few injuries had been reported as of Saturday morning, but no fatalities.
Here’s what you need to know about the tornadoes in the Plains.
Nebraska
- The first tornado report came in at 2:43 p.m. local time, according to The Washington Post. Most of the destruction has been reported in the cities of Omaha. Homes and buildings, including that of plastics manufacturer Garner Industries, have been severely damaged or destroyed. Three people were taken to a hospital and were expected to survive after a tornado tore through the Garner building, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside, according to Ben Houchin, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy.
- Tornadoes passed through parts of Eppley Airfield in Omaha and struck a train near Waverly, derailing several cars. There were no injuries or hazardous materials released, Kendall Sloan, a spokesperson for railroad company BNSF, told The Washington Post. Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said in a news conference late Friday night that about 50 properties had been damaged and that an emergency shelter had been set up for displaced residents. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) pledged state resources to assist the emergency response and support first responders.
Iowa
- The tornado emergency extended to areas near Nebraska’s border with Iowa at 4:15 p.m., according to The Washington Post.
- Storm chaser footage showed flattened homes in Minden, a town of about 600 people northeast of Omaha in Pottawattamie County. Jeff Theulen, chief deputy of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters Friday night that 40 to 50 homes in the town had been destroyed. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) approved a disaster emergency proclamation for Pottawatamie County to support storm recovery efforts.
- Two National Weather Service teams from the Des Moines office were to begin surveying the damage Saturday, according to the Des Moines Register.
Oklahoma
- Meteorologists reported tornadoes in Oklahoma early Saturday afternoon. The National Weather Service upgraded its tornado watch to a tornado warning for Grant County. The Weather Service issued a tornado watch for 19 Oklahoma counties in much of the state early Saturday morning, including Ellis and Jackson counties. The watch has been extended until 8 p.m. local time and now includes 14 more counties. Eight counties in Texas are now under a tornado watch, up from three. The Weather Service has also issued a tornado warning for Foard and Knox counties in Texas, and Pottawatomie and Brown counties in Kansas.
- Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said in a statement on X on Saturday that the State Emergency Operations Center had been activated to prepare for the storm.
- Two major outdoor events scheduled for Saturday — the Festival of the Arts near OKC City Hall and the Norman Music Festival — were canceled.
Matthew Cappucci contributed to this report.
