Severe weather on Friday left a trail of destruction in the Heartland, with 83 reports of tornadoes across five states.
The multi-day tornado outbreak continued Saturday, with powerful storms expected from Texas to the Great Lakes.
Emergency officials in Hughes County, Oklahoma, confirmed one death due to storms in Holdenville.
A tornado watch is in effect for parts of six states, from Texas to Iowa, into the late evening. This watch will likely expand east slightly as the day wears on.
Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri are forecast to experience a moderate risk—level 4 out of 5—on Saturday. Storms are expected to flare up again in the afternoon and evening across a large area of the country.
There is a chance for strong, long-track tornadoes, very large hail up to 3 inches in diameter, and thunderstorm winds up to 80 mph.
In addition to dozens of tornado reports, Friday saw 33 damaging wind reports and 60 large hail reports.
Four people were injured Friday in Iowa, and approximately 120 structures were damaged after severe weather hit Pottawattamie County, officials said.
The city of Minden was the hardest hit area in Friday’s storms, according to the county. Gas and power have been disrupted, and a 10 p.m. curfew has been issued until further notice.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, Pottawattamie County, and the City of Minden declared a state of emergency. Severe damage was also reported across eastern Nebraska, including Douglas County, where hundreds of homes were damaged in the Omaha area Friday.
Preliminary information suggests that two “strong, rare tornadoes” touched down in Douglas County, Chris Franks with the National Weather Service said during a press briefing on Saturday.
The National Weather Service found evidence of EF-2 and EF-3 tornado damage there following Friday’s storms, Franks said. No fatalities have been reported so far following the storms, officials said.
“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 said at the press briefing. “It’s a tremendous attribute to the city of Omaha.”
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen urged people to continue to stay safe as the storm threat continues into Saturday evening.
