Deadly Tornado Outbreak Leaves Destruction in Six States, Governor Declares Emergency in Iowa

Roughly 79 twisters were reported on Friday across six states, with the majority occurring in Nebraska and Iowa where houses have been reduced to rubble and buildings collapsed. In a Facebook post early Saturday morning, Omaha’s mayor Jean Stothert stated that no fatalities had occurred but there were minor injuries following an intense tornado which moved through rural farmland before hitting suburban areas. Police officer Lt Neal Bonacci explained that hundreds of homes have been damaged in the Elkhorn region located west of Omaha, adding “you definitely see the path of the tornado”. The authorities went door-to-door to provide assistance and rescue anyone trapped as a result of the storms. Two women helped carry their friend’s belongings out of her home after a twister passed through Bennington in Nebraska on Friday, while Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has declared a statewide emergency following images of parts Minden (located roughly 30 miles northeast of Omaha) being completely flattened. In nearby Shelby County approximately forty homes have been damaged according to county emergency coordinator Alex Londo who confirmed that there had not yet been any reports of fatalities, although one person has sustained serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening at this time. There were also over thirty instances involving dangerous wind and more than sixty accounts describing the hail on Friday afternoon into Saturday morning; officials from National Weather Service offices will conduct assessments ahead of further severe weather forecasted for tomorrow across regions such as Northwestern Texas, Western Oklahoma along with Oklahoma City, Dallas and Wichita in Kansas. The Storm Prediction Center has warned that “numerous strong to severe thunderstorms” could arise throughout Oklahoma, parts of both Texas & north-central New Mexico on Saturday afternoon into the evening; long-track tornadoes are expected alongside damaging winds and large hailstones which may cause significant damage.