On Saturday morning, the streets of the Elkhorn area of Omaha were filled with people, amidst the scattered remnants of their homes.
Governor Kevin Stitt expressed his condolences for the devastating loss of lives caused by the tornadoes that tore through Oklahoma last night. In a heartfelt statement, he stated that his prayers are with all those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones.
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On Sunday, an executive order was issued by him, declaring a state of emergency in 12 counties. This was due to the aftermath of the severe weather, which resulted in power lines being brought down and debris scattered. Crews were actively working to clear the debris and assess the extent of the damage caused by the severe storms. In the afternoon, he had scheduled a visit to Sulphur, a city in southern Oklahoma, where he planned to tour the area and witness firsthand the destruction that had reduced some buildings to mere piles of rubble.
According to poweroutage.us, a website that monitors electric utility outages, over 30,000 customers in Oklahoma were without power by midday Sunday. Similarly, in Texas, approximately 52,000 customers experienced power outages.
In Sulphur, there were reports of injuries and extensive damage. Local news media shared photos that depicted leveled buildings and homes with roofs torn off. The Murray County Sheriff’s Office advised residents to avoid the city in order to allow first responders to access the affected areas. The agency issued a statement on Facebook, highlighting the significant impact caused by the tornadoes.
The sheriff’s office advised everyone to stay at home and refrain from venturing out.
According to the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management, a hospital in Marietta sustained damage. They also reported that Interstate 35 at the Texas border had to be closed due to overturned vehicles and powerlines obstructing the highway.
A tornado wreaked havoc in suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday, demolishing homes and businesses as it tore through farmland and into residential areas. The destructive storm then made its way into an Iowa town, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
According to Dr. Lindsay Huse, the health director of the Douglas County Health Department in Omaha, fewer than two dozen individuals received treatment at local hospitals.
“The city’s injuries were not serious,” she exclaimed, emphasizing that they were nothing short of miraculous. Neighboring communities also reported only a few injuries each.
On Friday afternoon, the tornado inflicted damage in the vicinity of Lincoln, Nebraska. In Lancaster County, an industrial building was struck, resulting in its collapse with 70 individuals present. Although a number of individuals were initially trapped, prompt evacuation efforts ensured everyone’s safety. Thankfully, the injuries sustained by three individuals were deemed non-life-threatening, as confirmed by authorities.
According to Chris Franks, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office, one, or possibly two, tornadoes slowly moved towards Omaha for about an hour. The aftermath of the tornadoes revealed damage that is typical of an EF3 twister, with winds ranging from 135 to 165 mph.
The twister eventually struck the Elkhorn neighborhood in western Omaha, a city of 485,000 residents, with a metropolitan-area population of about 1 million.
Staci Roe assessed the destruction of her “forever home,” a house that had barely reached two years of age. At the time the tornado struck, she and her family were at the airport, awaiting the arrival of a friend who had planned to stay overnight.
“When I first laid eyes on it, there was no home to return to,” she recalled, expressing a sense of complete dread.”
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds dedicated their time on Saturday to surveying the affected areas and coordinating aid for the impacted communities. While formal assessments of the damage are still ongoing, both states are preparing to request federal assistance.
