(NEWSnet/AP) — A string of tornadoes struck in multiple states Friday afternoon and evening, damaging hundreds of homes and other structures.

The scenario resulted in the National Weather Service issuing three rare "Tornado Emergency" alerts for parts of Nebraska, along the Nebraska/Iowa border and parts of Iowa. A Tornado Emergency is a step above a Tornado Warning, it means a dangerous situation is taking place with a confirmed tornado on the ground.

In addition to Nebraska and Iowa, there were also tornado watches issued for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas Friday afternoon and evening. A tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to form, while a tornado warning means one is known or suspected to be in the area.

Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska, with Department of Transportation cameras picking up some of the funnel cloud scenes. Significant damage was reported in suburban Omaha.

 

But the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs near Omaha, a city of 485,000. Elkhorn, Bennington and Waterloo were among the communities hit by what Douglas County Emergency Management called a "confirmed tornado."

Photos on social media showed ravaged homes and shredded trees. Video showed homes with roofs stripped of shingles, in a rural area near Omaha. Law enforcement were blocking off roads in the area.

Hundreds of houses sustained damage in Omaha, mostly in the Elkhorn area in the western segment of the city, Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said.

Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said crews had gone to the “hardest-hit area” and had a plan to search anywhere someone might be trapped, given that many homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

County authorities also said the American Red Cross had set up a shelter area in Elkhorn for residents who needed emergency shelter.

A tornado also was spotted at Eppley Airfield, which is the airport in Omaha. The airport authority said there were no reports of injuries, and passengers in the terminal were sent to storm shelters. But some of the buildings elsewhere on the airport complex had damage.

 

Given the timing of the storms, Douglas County emergency officials said some Elkhorn students were kept at their schools until parents could meet them at a pickup point.

After the storms struck in Nebraska, they moved into Iowa. The community of Minden, Iowa, was particularly hit hard, according to KCCI TV in Des Moines.

The 2024 tornado season started early and has been a busy one, to include a rare February tornado in Wisconsin and dozens of confirmed tornadoes early in the season in Ohio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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