INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Nebraska Town ‘Leveled’ By Twin Tornadoes

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 12:44 PST, Jun 16, 2014

The small town of Pilger, Nebraska was “leveled” after the double assault of a pair of tornadoes that tore through the area Monday afternoon, decimating everything in their path.

With wind speeds in excess of 200 mph, the dual tornadoes ripped through the area, which lies 90 miles to the northwest of Omaha. Photos and video shown on social media reveal scenes of utter devastation in Pilger.

According to the New York Daily News, the tornadoes scattered cars and ripped street signs from their posts. Brian Davidson, a freelance photojournalist who is in the Stanton county community that 378 people call home, told the Omaha World-Herald that he witnessed a car inside a home, and described the aftermath of the tornadoes as “chaotic.” According to Davidson, every structure for five to six blocks surrounding him was damaged in some manner.

While early reports were scattered, Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk told the World-Herald that at least 16 people were in critical condition with one dead, while other area hospitals reported at least 11 more injuries. According to Deb Collins, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska State Patrol, authorities have closed Nebraska Highway 24 from Norfolk to Stanton and shut down US Highway 275 and Nebraska Highway 15 in Stanton County. Collins added that police are requesting motorists to stay off the roads so that emergency services can reach the beleaguered town.

Images and video of the twin cyclones show them spinning around each other, a relatively uncommon phenomenon called satellite tornadoes. Ben McMillan of the Iowa Storm Chase Network reported following the twisters near Pilger, telling KCCI8 that his group was at one point on the trail of a mile-wide tornado. Severe storms plagued the heartland states earlier this month, as The Inquisitr reported, when an unusually powerful front moved through and caused severe flooding, high winds, and massive hail. Widespread fears of tornado formation proved to be unfounded at that time, yet came to fruition today. Other tornadoes were spotted in relation to the same storm following the devastation in Pilger:

Northeast Nebraska and Iowa will remain under tornado warnings and watches for the remainder of the evening.

[Image via Omaha World-Herald]

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