The city of Omaha, Nebraska, was hit the hardest with local authorities rushing to help possible victims
Multiple powerful tornadoes have ripped through the central US, leaving hundreds of houses badly damaged or completely destroyed in their path, with authorities warning that severe storms are expected to continue until Sunday.
The National Weather Service received over 90 reports of tornadoes in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa as of 9pm Central Time.
Dramatic photos and videos of the inclement weather circulated online, showing the path of devastation, some captured by local news outlets while other taken by storm spotters.
One of the most powerful tornadoes ripped through Omaha, a city of some 485,000 people in Nebraska, with local authorities reporting major damage to homes and businesses, but no confirmed fatalities.
“There’s lots of trees down. There’s roofs missing from houses. You definitely see the path of the tornado,” police Lt. Neal Bonacci said, as footage on social media showed multiple completely destroyed or heavily damaged structures without roofs.
“We’ll be looking throughout properties in debris piles, we’ll be looking in basements, trying to find any victims and make sure everybody is rescued who needs assistance,” Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman added.
Another “particularly dangerous” tornado touched down near the towns of Harlan,Shelby and Minden in Iowa, with meteorologists warning of possible “catastrophic damage.”
The Weather Service issued an “ominous” forecast, according to AP, warning that large hail and strong wind gusts were on Saturday, with more tornadoes expected across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
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