Tornadoes rip through Omaha and Essex as severe weather sweeps across Nebraska and Iowa

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received 15 tornado reports across Nebraska and Iowa as a severe weather system moved southward through the state on Thursday, April 17.

Ten tornadoes were reported in Nebraska, while 5 were reported in Iowa. While many other tornadoes have been reported in the region, they are yet to be confirmed by the National Weather Service (NWS).

A tornado touched down in Omaha at around 19:00 local time on Thursday, prompting people to take shelter as the sirens went off. Tornado sirens also went off in Bennington and Elkhorn. At Eppley Airfield, people took cover for about 15 minutes as the storm approached.

For a brief period, the NWS flagged the event as “catastrophic” as it passed through the region and moved eastwards.

Authorities in Douglas and Washington Counties reached the scene to assess the impact and urged citizens to avoid the area between 72^nd Street and 78^th Street, from Omaha Trace to Dutch Hall Road.

“There are multiple downed power lines, damage to homes, and scattered debris,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Another tornado was reported near Oakland, Iowa, at around 20:00 local time (LT) on Thursday, and in Essex, although it was hard to assess the twister in the dark. It reportedly snapped trees and power lines and damaged a shed, spreading debris on the roads.

Large baseball-sized hail was also reported in many areas across Nebraska and Iowa during the severe weather event.

While the severe weather threat in the region has subsided, the full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed.

This event is part of the ongoing tornado activity in the United States, which has already seen over 437 tornadoes since the start of the year, resulting in 34 fatalities.

References:

¹ SPC storm reports – SPC – April 17, 2025

² Tornado touches down in Omaha area; at least one more in Iowa – First Alert 6 – April 17, 2025

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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