A series of tornadoes swept across the Midwest over the weekend, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming at least five lives. The severe storms, which began on Friday (April 26), spawned approximately 100 tornadoes across several states, including Nebraska and Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma, the town of Holdenville was hit hard late Saturday, resulting in two fatalities and four injuries, according to Hughes County Emergency Medical Services. Another person was killed near the southern Oklahoma city of Marietta, as reported by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.
Governor Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency in 12 counties on Sunday (April 27) as crews worked to clear debris and assess the damage caused by the severe storms. More than 30,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma as of Sunday midday.
In Nebraska, a tornado caused significant damage in the Omaha area, demolishing homes and businesses. Fewer than two dozen people were treated at Omaha-area hospitals, with no serious injuries reported. The tornado damage began on Friday afternoon near Lincoln, Nebraska, where an industrial building collapsed with 70 people inside. All were evacuated, and the three injuries were not life-threatening.
The National Weather Service is still evaluating the number and strength of the tornadoes. Nearly 47 million people from east Texas northward into the upper Mississippi River Valley remain at risk for severe weather.
"Strong to locally severe thunderstorms can be expected to extend northeast across these areas, including the Midwest, ahead of a warm front to the east of the low-pressure center. Meanwhile, the threat of heavy rain will push farther southeast into the Lower to Mid-Mississippi Valley as the cold front pushes eastward," the National Weather Service said.