A powerful tornado has hit the United States. The disaster is raging in Nebraska, Iowa and Texas. According to media , the most devastating destruction from the tornado is in Nebraska. Hundreds of private houses were damaged, an airfield was flooded, and there are victims, UNN reports.
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Nebraska suffered the most from the disaster (especially in the small towns of Elkhorn and Bennington).
In particular, the tornado severely damaged Eppley Airfield, also known as Omaha Airport in Nebraska. It was closed after the tornado was declared at 17:08 (22:08 GMT). The passengers were taken to storm shelters, so no one was injured.
I went out to see how bad it was. It is shocking. Many airplanes are under the rubble. The smell of oil and fuel in the air. I don't know how they are going to start cleaning it all up.
According to the airport administration, the passenger terminal was not damaged, but several buildings in the general aviation area on the east side of the airport were damaged. As of 17:59 (22:49 GMT), the operation of airplanes was resumed. However, flight delays were expected as the tornado could return.
One of the hardest hit communities after the severe storms is the Elkhorn neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Here, a powerful tornado destroyed homes where crews are still searching for trapped or injured people.
Two people have been reported injured in Omaha. They also sustained minor injuries after a tornado touched down in the Elkhorn area on Friday and have been treated for their injuries.
We believe that there were very few casualties because the warning systems in the city of Omaha and Douglas County were very effective... We were not hit by a sudden storm. People had warned us about it, which we believe saved lives.
In neighboring Iowa, a large tornado wreaked havoc in the small town of Minden. This was reported by the National Weather Service. The disaster also destroyed buildings there, including about 120 homes.
Preliminary information indicates varying degrees of damage.
According to emergency officials, four people were injured in Iowa this morning. Three of the victims have already been released, one remains in the hospital. His condition is stable.
Emergency officials in Nebraska's Shelby and Douglas counties reported no injuries after several tornadoes hit their communities on Friday.
However, officials reported that the storm caused significant property damage and residents were evacuated.
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It is noted that the peak of tornadoes is expected this afternoon. There is also a tornado danger for residents of Michigan to Texas. Therefore, the tornado warning remained in effect until Friday evening, and by 21:30, the National Weather Service counted more than 60 reports of tornadoes in five states.