Storms kill 1, injure another and displace hundreds of inmates in Nebraska
Omaha, Neb. – Strong storms before dawn Saturday in the east of Nebraska killed one person and seriously injured another in a state park and moved hundreds of detainees after two prison housing units were damaged, officials said, even if other Midwest states have also prepared bad weather.
Waterloo’s voluntary fire service was called to Two Rivers State Park just before 7 a.m. on Saturday, where the first speakers found a vehicle crushed by a large cotton. The tree had overturned while the storm brought gusts greater than 80 MPH (129 km / h) in the region, according to the National Weather Service. A woman in the vehicle was declared dead on the scene, while a man was trapped inside, the fire service said in a press release.
It took the firefighters about 90 minutes to release humans due to the size and weight of the tree, the department said. Once free, the man was taken to Omaha hospital with fatal injuries, said Waterloo firefighters Travis Harlow.
The State Park – A popular camping location – is around 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of the western border of Omaha.
The strong winds have caused generalized damage in eastern Nebraska, overthrowing the trees, damaging the roofs and lowering the power lines. About 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Omaha in Blair, the roof of a warehouse was torn apart by strong winds. Thousands of people were left without power overnight.
In the capital of the state of Lincoln, the storms damaged two dwellings at the penitentiary of the State of Nebraska, moving 387 prisoners, the State Department of Correctional Services said in a press release.
“There are no reported injuries, and all the staff and imprisoned persons are safe and recorded,” said the agency.
Strong storms also crossed parts of eastern Wisconsin on Saturday, bringing gusts of 60 MPH (97 km / h) in the Porte de l’Etat peninsula, the National Weather Service said.
The meteorological service said that stronger storms were possible through the middle section of the country on Saturday evening until Sunday, extending from western Colorado to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, north of Missouri and Illinois and Wisconsin.
