These past few weeks, the Midwest has seen some intense weather as multiple tornadoes tore through the land and strong windstorms kicked around debris and chaos. In Iowa, a tornado ran through over 100 houses in just one minute. In the wake of this destruction, four people were killed and more than 30 others were injured. Oklahoma saw similar damage done in around the state as the crazy storms hit them. Parts of Nebraska were hit by a unique storm being referred to as the “Gustnado.” This storm included 80 miles per hour wind gusts caused by thunderstorm winds. The Midwest as a whole is coming together this week to try and rebuild and recover after all of the damage has been done.
Many cities lost power at least once for a few hours.
For Nebraskans in the city of North Platte, where the “gustnado” hit, power was out for several hours of Sunday night. Power went out for most just after 7:00 pm and was not restored until around midnight. With the power lines out and wind going crazy, people were advised to shelter in place until the storm passed. The National Weather Service is investigating the storm given its irregularity and extensiveness. Thus far, they have categorized the storm as “non-tornadic” because there was never a trace of a cone-like spiral from the ground into the sky. However, there was still power behind the storm like a tornado.
In neighboring Iowa, many work to recover after the tornadoes.
The tornado that hit Iowa a few weeks ago was truly a massively destructive one. Given the damage it did in less than one minute, many express great gratitude that it was not even more destructive. The crazy part about the destruction is that it is very one sided. In the roughly one mile stretch of the main damaged area, the tornado touched down in such a way that across from every house that is now in ruins is another one that is perfectly fine. Entire rows of houses are knocked down and right across the way is an entire row of untouched houses. This has caused eerie sights for many, as the damage feels unreal.