OMAHA, NE – A storm system moving up through Kansas brought severe weather and multiple tornadoes to Eastern Nebraska Friday afternoon, passing through the Lincoln and Omaha areas before continuing on to Iowa. Although some injuries have been reported, as of late afternoon there were no fatalities.
In a media interview, Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman stated that there were hundreds of homes in suburbs and rural areas northwest of Omaha with damage, many in the Elkhorn area. Both police and fire officials credited early warning and extensive local media coverage with saving lives and preventing more injuries. Law enforcement were blocking off roads in the area. The Omaha Fire Chief stated in a media interview that Police and firefighters are going door-to-door helping people who are trapped and that the efforts will continue into the night and possibly early Saturday as well.
Immediate concerns are structural damage that may make portions of some homes un-safe, the report of some natural gas leaks and power lines on the ground. There was also a report of extensive damage to some structures at Epley Airport that involved out building and some small planes. After moving through Omaha, the tornadoes continued through Blair and into Western Iowa.
