25 tornadoes reported in central United States, damage in Iowa and Nebraska
At least 25 tornadoes were reported across four states in the central United States on May 17, 2026, with widespread damage being reported in parts of Iowa and Nebraska.
Image credit: NOAA/GOES-East, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
The Storm Prediction Center received at least 25 tornado reports through May 17 across Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Florida.
Out of the 25, 14 tornadoes were reported in Iowa, affecting multiple counties, including Woodbury, Plymouth, Cherokee, Calhoun, Pocahontas, Dickinson, and Palo Alto counties. While widespread tornado damage has been reported in the affected area, the extent of it is yet to be surveyed.
Seven tornadoes were reported in Howard, Hall, Thayer, Saunders, and Cass counties in Nebraska. Homes south of Plattsmouth were damaged due to a possible tornado in Cass County.
At least two tornadoes were reported in Minnesota. An unconfirmed tornado was reported approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) southwest of Worthington, in Nobles County, with debris being observed. Meanwhile, a short-rope tornado was reported near the I-90 in Martin County. The tornado was confirmed by a local police officer and a trained spotter.
A possible landspout was reported near Susank in Barton County, Kansas, while another tornado/landspout was reported near Cape Coral in Lee County.
For May 18, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placed portions of central and northeastern Kansas and far southeastern Nebraska under a Moderate Risk for severe thunderstorms.
Supercells are forecast to produce all severe hazards, including 5–10+ cm (2–4+ inches) of hail and strong to intense tornadoes, mainly from central Kansas into southeastern Nebraska.
Numerous severe thunderstorms are forecast along a cold front and dry line extending from the Great Lakes into the central and southern Plains.
The primary severe-weather corridor is forecast near the surface low, dryline, and cold-front triple point across central Kansas into southeastern Nebraska, with additional severe potential into southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri.
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References:
1 SPC Storm Reports – SPC – May 17, 2026
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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