Tornadoes Wreak Havoc in Heartland, Thousands Issued Alert

According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes wreaked havoc across at least six states in the heartland of America today, with dozens of twisters tearing their way through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. A massive alert covering 20 million people from these areas has been issued due to fears over potential tornadoes, large hailstones and winds reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. The National Weather Service confirmed that as at 7 p.m. Eastern Time today (April 26), there had already been more than 59 reported twisters across these states alone. Social media users shared images showing the aftermath, including heavily damaged homes and uprooted trees in Elkhorn, Nebraska, where extensive tornado damage was also witnessed by Thomas Hinterdorfer (@hinto62 on X). The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office reported that a large manufacturing facility had partially collapsed today, trapping at least 70 workers inside. First responders successfully evacuated all staff members from the building and three individuals were subsequently treated for injuries sustained during the incident, FOX Weather confirmed to news outlets this afternoon (April 26). In Omaha, Nebraska alone, hundreds of houses have been damaged – mostly in Elkhorn’s western part. “We are getting numerous calls regarding people being trapped in basements following debris falls,” a senior law enforcement officer at the scene stated to The Associated Press this afternoon (April 26). In other areas affected by today’s severe weather, including eastern Kansas and Nebraska as well as Iowa, western Missouri, western Arkansas and northeast Texas, tornadoes of varying strength are still being reported. According to reports from the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, an enhanced risk for dangerous storm conditions was confirmed in various regions around this area today – particularly surrounding Kansas City (Missouri), Omaha and Lincoln (Nebraska) as well as parts of Iowa with a slight or marginal risk also being identified across many areas of Texas. The National Weather Service warned that tornadoes, large hailstones measuring more than two inches in diameter and damaging winds could all be expected during this afternoon’s severe weather conditions – including some particularly strong twisters in certain locations around these states today (April 26). Sarah Rumpf is a reporter for Fox News. You can reach her via email at sarah.rumpf@fox.com or on Twitter @srumpfwitten.