Tornadoes Cause Damage in Omaha, Nebraska

Published: 27 April 2024 at 03:16

Travel

A tornado hit parts of Omaha, Nebraska, damaging hundreds of homes in the Elkhorn area, leaving nearly 10,000 without power. Some residents took shelter as the tornado passed, reporting devastation in the neighbourhood. Fortunately, there were no deaths but minor injuries were reported. The tornado also affected Eppley Airfield, causing temporary closure and damage to airport buildings. The airport has since reopened with expected flight delays. The tornado crossed into Iowa, with ongoing damage reports.

DEEP DIVE

Severe storms with tornadoes and hail threaten millions across the Plains and Midwest

Millions of people from Kansas to the northern Plains are at risk of severe weather including tornadoes, hail, and high winds. Southern Iowa into northern Missouri and west-central Illinois faces an enhanced risk of thunderstorms with threats of hail and tornadoes. Central Nebraska experienced wind gusts over 70 mph and tornadoes were reported in Kansas. The severe weather will continue to move eastward from southern Michigan into the Ohio Valley with a risk of tornadoes, strong winds, and hail. Multiple tornado watches have been issued in affected regions.

Severe Thunderstorms Threaten Central United States with Tornadoes and Hail

Dangerous storms including tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail are forecasted over several days in cities like Dallas, Kansas City, Des Moines, and Omaha as moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets heat in the region, creating a prime environment for severe weather. Thursday initiates the severe threat with thunderstorms in Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Texas. The risk of large hail, tornadoes, strong winds, and heavy rainfall is high, with specific areas in western Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas facing heightened risks.

Eppley Airfield (Wikipedia)

Eppley Airfield (IATA: OMA, ICAO: KOMA, FAA LID: OMA), also known as Omaha Airport, is an airport in the midwestern United States, located three miles (5 km) northeast of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. On the west bank of the Missouri River in Douglas County, it is the largest airport in Nebraska, with more arrivals and departures than all other airports in the state combined. It is classified as a medium hub airport by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It is owned and operated by the Omaha Airport Authority (OAA).

Dangerous storms and tornadoes expected to hit America's heartland over the weekend

Over 55 million Americans are at risk of severe weather threats, including tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds over a 1,000-mile stretch from southern Minnesota to Texas. The severe weather threat is expected to last through the weekend, with significant risks on Friday and an even greater threat on Saturday when strong tornadoes, very large hail, and damaging winds are possible across the central U.S. The storm system is also forecast to bring a risk of flash flooding to many states, benefitting areas suffering from droughts like Kansas and Iowa.

Severe Weather Threat Across Central U.S. This Week: What to Expect

The FOX Forecast Center is tracking a multiday severe weather threat across central U.S. with strong to severe thunderstorms possible Monday to Wednesday. Southern and central Plains are targeted on Thursday with a Level 2 out of 5 risk. Threat extends from Nebraska to Texas, including Kansas and Oklahoma. Super cell thunderstorms may develop with large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. The risk expands to the Missouri Valley and Plains by Friday, covering eight states including Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa with threats of hail and damaging winds.

$950 million upgrade planned for Omaha airport in Nebraska

The airport in Omaha, Nebraska is set to undergo a $950 million upgrade, including a new glass-domed entrance, larger boarding gates, and baggage claim areas, as well as the addition of new restaurants and shops. The project, approved by the Omaha Airport Authority, is expected to be completed by 2028 and will be funded by user fees. Plans also include expanding the terminal by 72%, adding two new gates, and creating a customs area for future international flights. The upgrade has been in discussions for years but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the airport experienced a significant increase in passengers, with over 5 million travelers, an 11% rise from the previous year.

Omaha (disambiguation) (Wikipedia)

Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska, United States.Omaha may also refer to:

Omaha people (Wikipedia)

The Omaha (Omaha-Ponca: Umoⁿhoⁿ) are a federally recognized Midwestern Native American tribe who reside on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States. There were 5,427 enrolled members as of 2012. The Omaha Reservation lies primarily in the southern part of Thurston County and northeastern Cuming County, Nebraska, but small parts extend into the northeast corner of Burt County and across the Missouri River into Monona County, Iowa. Its total land area is 307.03 sq mi (795.2 km2) and the reservation population, including non-Native residents, was 4,526 in the 2020 census. Its largest community is Pender.The Omaha people migrated to the upper Missouri area and the Plains by the late 17th century from earlier locations in the Ohio River Valley. The Omaha speak a Siouan language of the Dhegihan branch, which is very similar to that spoken by the Ponca. The latter were part of the Omaha before splitting off into a separate tribe in the mid-18th century. They were also related to the Siouan-speaking Osage, Quapaw, and Kansa peoples, who also migrated west under pressure from the Iroquois in the Ohio Valley. After pushing out other tribes, the Iroquois kept control of the area as a hunting ground.About 1770, the Omaha became the first tribe on the Northern Plains to adopt equestrian culture. Developing "The Big Village" (Ton-wa-tonga) about 1775 in current-day Dakota County in northeast Nebraska, the Omaha developed an extensive trading network with early European explorers and French Canadian voyageurs. They controlled the fur trade and access to other tribes on the Upper Missouri River.Omaha, Nebraska, the largest city in Nebraska, is named after them. Never known to take up arms against the U.S., the Omaha assisted the U.S. during the American Civil War.

Nebraska (Wikipedia)

Nebraska ( nə-BRASS-kə) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska is the 16th largest state by land area, with just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km2). With a population of over 1.9 million, it is the 37th most populous state and the 7th least densely populated. Its capital is Lincoln, and its most populous city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. Nebraska was admitted into the United States in 1867, two years after the end of the American Civil War. The Nebraska Legislature is unlike any other American legislature in that it is unicameral, and its members are elected without any official reference to political party affiliation.Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains region, occupying most of western Nebraska, is characterized by treeless prairie. Eastern Nebraska has a humid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarily semi-arid. The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures; the variations decrease in southern Nebraska. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, and sometimes in autumn. Chinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring.Indigenous peoples, including Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, and various branches of the Lakota (Sioux) tribes, lived in the region for thousands of years before European exploration. The state is crossed by many historic trails, including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through Nebraska and passage of the Homestead Acts led to rapid growth in the population of Euro-American settlers in the 1870s and 1880s and the development of a large agriculture sector for which the state is known to this day.

911 Services Down Across at Least Three States

Residents in South Dakota, Nevada, and Texas experienced 911 call outages with cities such as Las Vegas affected. Outages were reported in Dundy County, Nebraska, and various cities in Texas. Las Vegas Police urged mobile users to dial 911 for call-backs, as landlines were down. Service was restored in Las Vegas after the outage. South Dakota faced statewide outages, prompting officials to advise against calling 911 unnecessarily. The cause of the outages and why only these states were affected remains unclear.

Elkhorn, Omaha, Nebraska (Wikipedia)

Elkhorn is a western neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was an independent city in Douglas County until it was annexed by Omaha in 2005. The population was 6,062 at the 2000 census and was estimated by the Census Bureau at 8,192 in 2005. It was named after the Elkhorn River.

Ōmaha (Wikipedia)

Ōmaha is a small beach town on Ōmaha Bay in the Auckland Region, in the north of New Zealand. It is located 74.7 km north of central Auckland. It is on a sandspit that adjoins Tāwharanui Peninsula and separates Whangateau Harbour from Ōmaha Bay. The nearest sizeable town is Warkworth which is situated 16.8 km south west of Ōmaha.