CNN
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Tornadoes caused damage in Oklahoma and prompted calls for evacuations as severe tornado-bearing storms threatened to bring more twisters, heavy rain and large hail from Missouri to Texas.
Multiple large and extremely dangerous tornadoes were reported in some parts of Oklahoma overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
There were reports of injuries, property damage, flooding, downed power lines and trees in multiple counties Saturday night, according to the Oklahoma Emergency Management Agency. The extent of the damage was unclear early Sunday.
Sulfur, more than 130 miles from Oklahoma City, suffered damage and impact from what appeared to be at least two major tornadoes overnight as the city was under a flood warning, according to the weather service.
“A large and extremely dangerous tornado is south of Sulfur and moving north at 35 miles per hour. First responders must immediately prepare for additional tornado impacts!!!” the Norman Weather Service warned. .
About 47 million people were at risk of severe weather as it moved north from eastern Texas to the upper Mississippi River basin Sunday, as communities in Nebraska and Iowa surveyed the damage the storm has already left behind.
Cities including Dallas and Austin in Texas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma, Wichita and Topeka in Kansas, and the Kansas City metropolitan area could experience strong tornadoes as the storm moves east across the southern Plains. There is.
More than 7 million people were under tornado watches early Sunday morning, stretching more than 1,300 miles from Texas to southern Wisconsin. The monitoring area is scheduled to expire between 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Central Time.
of weather service reported late Saturday that two tornadoes were seen simultaneously crossing Oklahoma Highway 9 between Goldsby and Blanchard and just east of Tinker Air Force Base. And as the tornado heads toward Norman, the University of Oklahoma warns students and staff to “evacuate immediately within the building you are in. Move to the lowest floor/interior room.”
Oklahoma's emergency operations center was activated Saturday, according to a Facebook post from Gov. Kevin Stitt. He told residents to “stay aware of the weather and know where to take shelter if severe storms threaten your area.”
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In addition to tornadoes, the storm could bring heavy rain, further exacerbating life-threatening conditions.
The Storm Prediction Center has raised the threat of severe storms Sunday to Level 5/3 for an area from eastern Texas to southern Missouri, including Shreveport, Little Rock and Springfield. Areas from southeastern Texas to southern Iowa are under threat of severe storms, a Level 2 out of 5.
Unstable weather is expected to continue across the central part of the country until Monday.
“In addition to the severe weather, these thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by heavy rainfall at times, which could result in localized moderate to high flash flooding potential,” the National Weather Service said.
On Friday and Saturday, the storm led to reports of dozens of tornadoes in at least six states, and images of destroyed homes and debris covering areas seen in communities in Nebraska and Iowa.
Tornadoes wreak havoc in Nebraska and Iowa
Omaha resident Jason Sunday and his family told CNN affiliate KETV they were in their new home in Elkhorn for 30 days when the tornado hit like a “freight train.”
He took shelter in his home Friday as a tornado approached.
“We were downstairs in the bathtub and it was like a freight train, just like in the movie,” Sunday told KETV. “And I knew the roof was going to come off because there was this loud, sucking motion. It was pretty scary.”
The tornado caused extensive damage to the family's new home, and they now face having to rebuild.
“We are grateful to be alive. We are very grateful,” Sunday said.
Similar to Sunday, multiple tornadoes were reported on Friday, and many residents in Omaha and Nebraska are similarly battling severe damage to their homes.
Elkhorn in Omaha, Nebraska, was one of the hardest hit communities. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen told reporters Saturday that it was a miracle there were no deaths.
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On Friday, drone footage showed emergency workers working at the scene of a tornado-damaged building in Omaha, Nebraska.
“Nebraskas are not used to bad weather, and as we have seen many times before, Nebraskans will help Nebraskans rebuild,” the governor said in a post on .
One of the tornadoes that hit Douglas County had winds exceeding 135 mph and had a preliminary rating of EF-3, said Chris Franks of the National Weather Service. The other plane that hit Omaha's airport appeared to be an EF-2, he added.
In a suburb of Lincoln, Nebraska, a tornado tore off the roofs of homes and tore through part of Interstate 80. A tornado struck near Waverly, derailing multiple train cars, a railroad spokesperson said.
In Pottawattamie County, Iowa, about 120 homes and businesses were damaged, county emergency management officials said.
A large tornado was reported in Minden, a small city in Pottawattamie County, according to the National Weather Service. Footage obtained by CNN shows destroyed structures and widespread debris.
There were more than 80 reports of tornadoes in at least five states on Friday alone, many confirmed by footage from weather bureaus and storm trackers.
