Midwest tornadoes cause severe damage in Omaha suburbs

NEW DELHI: A powerful tornado ripped through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon, causing extensive damage to hundreds of homes and structures as it tore through farmland and residential areas. While injuries were reported, it remains unclear if any fatalities occurred. The most destructive storm moved from a primarily rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city with a population of 485,000.

Social media images depicted heavily damaged homes and uprooted trees, while video footage showed homes with roofs stripped of shingles in a rural area near Omaha. Law enforcement officials were blocking off roads in the affected areas.

According to police Lt. Neal Bonacci, hundreds of houses in Omaha sustained damage, primarily in the Elkhorn area on the city's west side. Police and firefighters are currently going door-to-door to assist trapped residents. "We are getting 911 calls of people in debris in their basement," he said. "We are just working as quick as we can to help everyone who needs it." Bonacci noted that injuries have been minor so far, and he was not aware of any damaged businesses.

Another tornado hit an area on the western edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, the city's airport. Officials closed the airport to aircraft operations and were assessing any damage in the area, according to Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer Steve McCoy. "We have folks in the terminal that are in shelters right now, but the airport is currently closed," he said, adding that he wasn't aware of any injuries. Flight delays are likely, he said.

After passing through the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River and into Iowa, north of Council Bluffs. Nebraska emergency management agency spokesperson Katrina Sperl said damage is just now being reported, while Taylor Wilson, a spokesperson for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said they hadn't seen any injuries yet.

The Omaha Public Power District reported that nearly 10,000 customers were without power in the Omaha area. Daniel Fienhold, manager of the Pink Poodle Steakhouse in Crescent, Iowa, said he was outside watching the weather with his daughter and restaurant employees when he noticed a large tornado forming northeast of town. As the wind began to pick up, he headed for the basement, but they never saw the tornado.


(With inputs from agencies)