Multiple homes damaged or destroyed by tornado near Omaha, Nebraska (2024)

02:55

Elkhorn, NE nearly unrecognizable following catastrophic tornado damage Friday

A tornado ripped through parts of Nebraska on Friday, causing widespread destruction in its wake. FOX Weather correspondent Nicole Valdes is on the ground in the Omaha suburb of Elkhorn, where the damage is catastrophic and the town is almost unrecognizable.

OMAHA, Neb. – A violent supercell that produced tornadoes over eastern Nebraska damaged businesses and destroyed homes on Friday afternoon during a multi-day severe weather outbreak over the Plains.

Doppler radar first detected significant rotation southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska, near the town of Wilber.

The cell would go on to produce tornadoes around the towns of Elkhorn, Waverly, Blair and communities outside of Omaha.

The National Weather Service office in Omaha even issued a rare Tornado Emergency, which warned of the life-threatening weather event.

03:33

Nebraska residents take shelter ahead of approaching tornado

Catastrophic damage has been reported outside of Omaha, Nebraska after a significant tornado was observed.

WHAT IS A ‘TORNADO EMERGENCY’?

The devastation caused by the tornado is evident in a line of homes, with cars and houses destroyed or severely damaged in the Omaha suburb of Elkhorn.

"This is catastrophic damage that we're talking about here," said FOX Weather correspondent Nicole Valdes, who was on the ground Saturday in the unrecognizable town. "You can only imagine not only what this looks like now, but the fear of the families who may have been inside some of these homes, as they probably had to duck for shelter as the roof came crashing down above them."

Significant damage east of Lincoln, Nebraska

Before crossing Interstate 80, the tornado was credited with knocking over part of a train and impacting a manufacturing facility with at least 70 workers inside.

According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, several of the workers were trapped, but only three had non-life-threatening injuries.

Garner Industries says it specializes in the production of plastic products used in a variety of industries.

Clean-up will be extensive as major sections of the facility’s roof and walls appear to have caved in.

00:46

Workers trapped in manufacturing facility have a tornado races across Nebraska

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office reported 70 workers were inside the facility outside of Lincoln, Nebraska when a tornado moved through. First responders said only three workers were injured at the Garner Industries facility

"We are very thankful that there were not more injuries and that everybody is going to be okay," authorities said.

Not far away, BNSF Railway reported there were no injuries after several train cars were derailed by the tornado between the towns Lincoln and Waverly.

In total, Lancaster County Emergency Management reported at least 13 people sought medical treatment after the severe storm rolled through.

Train derailment between Lincoln and Waverly in Nebraska

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HOW METEOROLOGISTS DETERMINE IF A TORNADO IS TO BLAME FOR STORM DAMAGE

Omaha's airport damaged by tornado

Flight passengers at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield had to head to storm shelters as a tornado touched down at the airport.

Airport officials said they closed the airfield when the twister touched down just after 5 p.m. and got all the passengers to safety. The passenger terminal made it through the storm unscathed, but the airport did suffer damage to multiple general aviation buildings on the east side of the airfield, officials said.

No one was injured and flights resumed nearly an hour later.

Tornado crosses Interstate 80 during live FOX Weather storm coverage

FOX Weather meteorologists Ian Oliver and Ari Sarsalari were on-air during severe weather coverage when Storm Tracker Brandon Copic captured video of a tornado that swept across Interstate 80 east of Lincoln.

A pack of storm chasers were close enough to hear the roar of the vortex as traffic slowed to allow the twister to cross the interstate.

The strong winds flipped at least one semi-truck, and fellow motorists stopped to help the truck’s driver out of the cab.

02:41

Watch: Tornado crosses Interstate 80 outside Lincoln, Nebraska

A supercell in eastern Nebraska produced a powerful tornado on Friday that crossed Interstate 80 and the event was captured on video.

Tornado Emergency issued for communities outside of Omaha

After what appeared to be an internal reorganization of the cell, the storm produced the strongest tornado of its lifecycle around the Omaha metro.

The local National Weather Service office issued several Tornado Warnings and a Tornado Emergency warning about the extreme danger to life and property from the twister.

The Tornado Emergency was the first issuance of the product since Dec. 9, 2023, when an EF-2 impacted communities around Nashville.

After the severe weather, video showed significant damage in the towns of Elkhorn and Blair, where local storm chasers said some homes appeared to be completely flattened.

First responders were in search and rescue mode in the hours after the storms.

Local storm chasers said they witnessed people who were injured, as authorities went door-to-door looking for victims.

01:24

Homes destroyed after tornado races through Blair, Nebraska

Several structures were damaged and destroyed outside of Omaha, Nebraska by a powerful tornado.

Emergency services pleaded with the public to dial 911 only if there was an actual emergency due to the initial onslaught of callers.

The Omaha Police Department said only minor injuries were reported in its jurisdiction, but search and rescue efforts were still ongoing.

The Storm Prediction Center received more than 60 reports of tornadoes, with most occurring in either Nebraska or Iowa.