Press
Several dozen tornadoes have caused devastation in parts of the USA. Despite major damage, the outcome was unscathed for the people – politicians speak of a “miracle”.
Omaha – Several tornadoes have caused extensive damage in the Midwest of the United States. The city of Omaha and its surroundings in the state of Nebraska were hit particularly hard. Around 150 houses there were damaged or even destroyed, local media reported, citing the police.
Photos and videos showed buildings of which only a mountain of rubble remained. There were also reports of around two dozen injuries, but there were no fatalities. In addition, the power went out in thousands of households. According to estimates by the weather service, the “twisters” caused wind gusts of around 215 kilometers per hour.
“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. “It is an extraordinary miracle that we survived such a storm without fatalities,” said Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen during a visit to the site.
Industrial building collapses
In Lancaster County, around 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. Around 50 houses were completely destroyed.
Dozens of tornadoes and violent hurricanes were reported in five states on Friday and Saturday alone, CNN reported. Severe weather warnings were in effect for around nine million residents.
Experts attribute the increase in natural disasters in the USA – storms, floods and forest fires – to the consequences of climate change. dpa
#Tornadoes #severe #damage #USA