Twin tornadoes strike Essex, Iowa while Omaha braces for severe storm
Two tornadoes hit Essex, Iowa and hail battered Omaha Thursday, prompting tornado emergencies, airport evacuations and power outages but no immediate fatalities.
Key points
- A wedge tornado hit Essex, Iowa around 3 p.m., toppling power poles and damaging farm structures.
- Omaha’s Eppley Airfield opened tornado shelters as baseball‑sized hail and 80 mph winds hit the area.
- The National Weather Service issued tornado emergency alerts for multiple counties in Iowa and Nebraska.
- Emergency crews responded to downed power lines and structural damage; no deaths were reported.
- Meteorologists warned the severe weather could return by Easter Sunday across the Midwest.
A severe weather outbreak unleashed chaos across Iowa and Nebraska Thursday evening, with twin tornadoes targeting Essex, Iowa, and baseball-sized hail pummeling the Omaha area. The National Weather Service issued rare "tornado emergency" alerts as rotating supercells triggered airport evacuations and left trails of debris.
Eyewitness footage shows a large wedge tornado moving near Essex around:3 p.m., uprooting power poles and damaging farm structures. Simultaneously, Omaha’s Eppley Airfield activated tornado shelters, forcing passengers to huddle for minutes as storms battered the region. Storm chasers documented baseball-sized hail near Underwood and 80+ mph winds creating dust storms outside Omaha.
The NWS confirmed at least tornadoes across both states, including one near Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, and another south of Randolph, Iowa. Emergency crews responded to downed power lines and structural damage in multiple counties, though no fatalities were immediately reported.
Meteorologists warned the severe threat could redevelop by Easter Sunday, particularly across the Midwest. For real-time updates, residents are urged to monitor KETV and WOWT weather radars.
(Embed: YouTube footage of Omaha tornado from Live Storms Media)
Your questions, answered
What damage occurred in Essex, Iowa from the tornado?
The tornado uprooted power poles and damaged farm structures in Essex.
Why were passengers evacuated at Omaha’s airport?
Eppley Airfield activated tornado shelters and evacuated passengers as the storm approached.
Did any fatalities occur during the tornado outbreak?
No fatalities were immediately reported.
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