Thursday night, severe weather wreaked havoc on communities throughout the Omaha metro area, with multiple tornadoes reported in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. WOWT reported that Bennington and Manley in Nebraska, as well as Randolph and Essex in Iowa, were among the most heavily impacted areas.
The photos and videos that surfaced in the aftermath demonstrated the true ferocity of the outbreak, with one user capturing the massive hail that ravaged their home.
The National Weather Service reported several tornadoes during the storm, as well as softball-sized hail and damaging wind gusts of more than 80 mph.
Ashley Lathrop shared photos on X of her home in Fremont, Nebraska, where softball-sized hail splintered panels and exposed insulation and walls. Fortunately, she confirmed that she and her family were unharmed despite the destruction.
Also via X, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a tornado in northern Douglas County and warned residents to avoid the area of 72nd Street to 78th Street from Omaha Trace to Dutch Hall Road due to “multiple downed power lines and damage to homes” and shared photos of the storm.
The most severe tornado warning was issued for Essex, Iowa, at 8:51 p.m. CDT. Alex Terry uploaded a video of the storm’s path near Essex.
Pictures of the affected areas have continued to circulate on social media. The National Weather Service is expected to confirm the tornadoes’ categories in the coming days.
According to AccuWeather, more rounds of severe thunderstorms are expected through the weekend, threatening areas from Texas to Ohio.