Tornado tears through Nebraska, causing severe damage in Omaha suburbs

By Josh Funk And Heather Hollingsworth, The Associated Press on April 26, 2024.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon, demolishing homes as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. It wasn’t yet clear if anyone was injured or 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.

Few details were immediately available. Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Katrina Sperl said damage is just now being reported.

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.

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Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.