storm
Tornadoes cause severe damage in the USA
Several tornadoes caused severe damage in the US state of Nebraska. photo
© Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald/AP/dpa
Several dozen tornadoes have caused devastation in parts of the USA. Despite major damage, things apparently turned out unscathed for people – but meteorologists are warning of new storms.
Photos and videos showed buildings of which only a mountain of rubble remained. There are also reports of some injuries, but no deaths have been reported so far. In addition, the power went out in thousands of households.
“We were very fortunate that there were very few injuries,” said Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer. The warning systems in the city, which has around half a million inhabitants, worked well. That saved people’s lives.
Industrial building collapsed
In Lancaster County, about 70 people were rescued from an industrial building that collapsed in the storm, the reports said. On its destructive path, a tornado moved across the Missouri River into the neighboring state of Iowa. There he caused serious damage in the small town of Minden.
At least 60 tornadoes and violent hurricanes were reported in five states, CNN reported. According to the weather service, the severe storms could last until Sunday. Severe weather warnings were in effect for more than 50 million residents. In addition to storms and heavy rain, hail is also expected in some places.
Experts attribute the increase in natural disasters in the USA – storms, floods and forest fires – to the consequences of climate change.