(Omaha, NE & Des Moines, IA) – Severe storms that fired-up in Nebraska Friday afternoon, moved northeast into Iowa, while a second batch of storms formed in southwest Iowa and moved east/northeast. Those storms packed tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, heavy rain and large hail. Thousands of people were left without power, and there were many injured in Nebraska.

KETV in Omaha reported late Friday night, that a tornado developed right over downtown Omaha and damaged the general aviation at Eppley Airfield. The airport has since reopened. A tornado has been confirmed over Crescent, Iowa, about 10 miles northeast of Omaha. Minden, Iowa, was hit with a confirmed tornado, with multiple structures damaged or destroyed.

Homes and some businesses in Creston, Iowa, which was hit by a twister 12-years ago, sustained damage Friday evening, as well. Preliminary storm data compiled at the National Weather Service Offices in Valley, NE. and Johnston, Iowa, show there were AT LEAST 35 reports of tornadic activity.

Just before 4 p.m., Friday, a strong tornado ripped through the northwest corridor of Omaha, flattening homes in Elkhorn (NE) and causing significant damage. Separate tornadoes impacted the Nebraska towns of Bennington, Waterloo, and Blair, among others. The American Red Cross has established an emergency shelter for displaced residents.

Most notably, in Iowa:

•  A very large tornado crossed Interstate 80 one-mile west/southwest of Shelby, at around 5:50-p.m.
• A very large, multi-vortex tornado struck Minden at around 5:45-p.m., destroying homes at around 5:45-p.m. It was said to have been one-third of a mile wide.
• Video shows a large tornado occurred east of Neola.Law enforcement reported multiple outbuildings were destroyed and a home lost its roof as the result of a tornado that occurred at 5:59-p.m. near and in Tennant.
• A multi-vortex tornado was reported west of Harlan at around 6:05-p.m.
• Significant damage was caused by a twister between Portsmouth and Harlan, with a home destroyed and cars flipped over by a tornado.
• A storm chase shared a picture of a tornado just west of Manilla at around 7-p.m.
• At around 7:10-p.m., a tornado south of the hospital in Creston tossed debris around, some which landed near the hospital.
• A tornado was reported by Emergency Management in Adams County, about 3 miles northeast of Lenox, at around 7:10-p.m.
• Power poles and other debris littered Highway 34 near Afton, in Union County, after a tornado struck in that area.
• A trained spotter said a tornado was on the ground east of Creston at around 7:30-p.m.
• A little before 8-p.m., a large tornado was reported moving northeast of Afton, with a debris field observed.
• In Madison County, a tornado occurred near the Word Of Life Church, in the area of Peru, while other tornadoes were reported near Cumming and Patterson.

Hail reports were extensive as well, most notably:

• 3-inch diameter hail (slightly larger than a baseball) fell in Mount Ayr (Ringgold County), at around 8:18-p.m.
• Quarter-size hail (I” in diameter) reports were received from spotters elsewhere in Ringgold and Page Counties.
• Gold-ball size hail (1.75″ in diameter), fell in Carter Lake,
• and nickel-size hail was reported in Carroll.

Storm damage assessment crews were expected to be out and about this weekend. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Friday night, issued a Disaster Proclamation for Pottawattamie County, to help residents rebuild after the storm.