On April 26, 2024 at least 19 tornadoes slammed Nebraska’s Northwest, and south regions leaving many homes torn apart, cars damaged, and left lots without power.
The longest span of tornadoes for Nebraska touched down in Sarpy county near W Q Rd and 255th street intersection. The tornado continued northeast crossing many agricultural fields and eventually crossed 252nd Street. The tornado caused damage as it approached Highway 92, damaging numerous homes and striking an acreage northwest of Highway 92. The tornado continued northeast crossing east of Highway 275 damaging several acreages, homes, and outbuildings along Highway 275/240th Street W and then crossed the Elkhorn River, damaging trees and. The tornado continued into the western part of Elkhorn approximately one-half mile south southwest of the intersection of West Maple Road and 216th Street. Several homes sustained damage with homes losing large sections of their roofs and one home being shifted off its foundation.The tornado crossed Fort Street about one-third of a mile east of 216th Street, causing the collapse of new development homes. It veered to the northeast across mainly rural areas of Douglas County, between Fort Street and Military Road, becoming about one-mile wide as it crossed Highway 31, snapping power poles and large trees.
Moving into Bennington, the tornado moved across Newport Landing Lake, crossing near the intersection of Highway 36 and 168th Street, snapping the tops off of trees. It crossed US 75 about 2 miles southeast of Blair moving across the very southern portion of the Cargill plant. The tornado weakened and narrowed, but snapped power poles and derailed several empty rail container cars from the tracks it then moved across the Missouri River crossing into Iowa, crossing Highway 30 and Union Pacific Rail line about one-mile east of the Iowa-Nebraska state line.
The tornado eventually dissipated approximately 2 miles southwest of Modale, Iowa.
Rural areas such as Blair, Louisville, Springfield, Wahoo and others are at a much higher risk of tornadoes because of how rural these towns are. Urban areas only make up a small percentage of our land area, so it is less likely for a tornado to occur in those areas such as Omaha.
“My Dad’s work friend was doing an interview with one of his clients then he heard the sirens so he and his family went down to the basement the tornado was almost close to them but lucky it went passed them but it did tear a little bit of their house,” sophomore William Hausman said.
When asked to fill out a recent poll for Common Sense, 19 students answered yes when asked, were you or someone you know affected by the tornadoes on April 26? When asked if they would share what kind of damage resulted from the tornadoes
Freshman Elizabeth Hansen stated “My cousin, She lost the roof of her house and the second story collapsed.” According to another student who did not want to be named said, “A friend from another school had the tornado run straight through their neighborhood; two of their walls were ripped off and lots of ceiling drywall. some rooms remained untouched but most everything was a mess.”
