With 83 reports of tornadoes in five states on Friday, severe weather left a path of devastation across the Heartland. Saturday is the second day of the multi-day tornado outbreak, with strong storms predicted from Texas to the Great Lakes.
A tornado watch is in place for portions of six states, ranging from Texas to Iowa, through the late evening hours. As the day goes on, this watch will probably move a little bit eastward.
Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri are predicted to experience a moderate danger on Saturday (level 4 out of 5), with storms resuming in the afternoon and evening over a sizable portion of the nation. Strong long-track tornadoes, enormous hail up to 3 inches in diameter, and 80 mph thunderstorm winds are also possible.
On Friday, there were reports of 60 huge hailstones and 33 severe wind events in addition to the numerous tornadoes.
In Pottawattamie County, Iowa, severe weather on Friday resulted in four injuries and about 120 structures being damaged, according to county officials.
The county claims that the area worst affected by Friday’s storms was the city of Minden. A 10 p.m. curfew has been imposed until further notice due to disruptions with gas and electrical.
A state of emergency has been issued by Pottawattamie County, Gov. Kim Reynolds, and the City of Minden.
In eastern Nebraska, particularly Douglas County, where hundreds of homes sustained damage in the Omaha area on Friday, there were additional reports of severe damage.
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Two “strong, rare tornadoes” may have touched down in Douglas County, according to preliminary data, Chris Franks of the National Weather Service said during a press conference on Saturday. After Friday’s storms, the National Weather Service discovered indications of EF-2 and EF-3 tornado damage there, according to Franks.
“For that big of a storm, to have the property damage that was so extensive, without the loss of life,” Douglas County Emergency Management Paul Johnson stated. “It’s a tremendous attribute to the city of Omaha.”
Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska issued a warning to the public to keep careful as the storm danger persisted into Saturday night.
As of this Saturday morning, seven tornado reports have been made. A massive and destructive tornado was recorded close to Knox City, Texas, prompting the declaration of a tornado emergency. Moreover, reports of baseball-sized hail were made during this tornadic storm.
On Saturday, a tornado was officially reported close to the Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri crossroads. Eight miles north of Robinson, Kansas, was the location of the confirmed tornado.
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On Saturday, all forms of severe weather are possible.
Particularly in Kansas, Oklahoma, and northeastern Texas, destructive winds, enormous hail, and long-track tornadoes are all possible. All things considered, there is a serious weather hazard extending from Canada to Mexico throughout the central United States.
Into the night, there is still a chance of these hazardous storms.
This significant storm system carries a flash flood risk in addition to the potential of thunderstorms.
Up until Monday afternoon, eight states, ranging from Texas to Iowa, are under a flood watch. This is due to the possibility of dangerous flash flooding from heavy downpours that might dump a lot of rainfall in a short period of time.
“Confidence continues to be high in a major flash flood event unfolding for portions of east-central Oklahoma with higher end rainfall totals Saturday beginning late this evening into Saturday night,” the Weather Prediction Center stated.
The highest degree of danger is a “high risk” of excessive rainfall. In high-risk areas, one-third of all flood-related deaths take place. A high-risk issuance is the result of a rare and dangerous flood event projected that poses a substantial threat to life.
This weekend, the National Weather Service will inspect damage to ascertain the number of confirmed tornadoes, their strength ratings, and other pertinent information.
Although there is less of a threat on Sunday, there is still a risk of severe wind, big hail, and a few tornadoes from Austin, Texas, to Davenport, Iowa, which also includes Little Rock, Arkansas, Kansas City, and St. Louis, Missouri.
