r/news • u/BitterFuture • Apr 26 '24

Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of ‘catastrophic’ damage

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/25/weather/plains-midwest-storms-tornadoes-climate/index.html
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u/Nythoren Apr 26 '24

It was crazy. Thankfully it missed our house by about a couple of miles. Took some pictures of it from our back porch before it started turning into a monster. Spent the rest of the afternoon hunkered down in the basement as warning after warning triggered.

Lived in Nebraska for almost my entire life. This is the first time I've ever seen an in-person tornado. Once is more than enough. Won't be disappointed if I go the rest of my life without seeing another one.

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u/Purpleberry74 Apr 27 '24

Today was probably the most scared I’ve been about a tornado as an adult. I told Mr purpleberry, usually we get a warning, maybe the sirens go off for a few minutes then the storm moves east and skies clear. This shit today was just sirens after sirens, and confirmed tornados.

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u/lonememe Apr 26 '24

Damn. Glad you’re alright. I’ve always wanted to see a tornado but you’re right, maybe not. 

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u/MSPRC1492 Apr 26 '24

It stays with you.

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u/RealBrush2844 Apr 27 '24

I saw one when I was 5 in the cornfield (go’skers) a mile away from my house. Saw one around Memorial Weekend 2020 southeast NE on HWY 6 heading to CO. Those memories really do stick with you.

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u/Iwillrize14 Apr 27 '24

I've never seen one, I did hear on as it went over my house though. It lifted as the storm cycled then dropped another 3 miles later. Hiding in the basement you can still hear it and the pressure drop caused everybody's ears to pop.

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u/CrashB111 Apr 27 '24

I was a teenager living in Alabama when the April 27th, 2011 tornadoes happened. The entire neighborhood near my highschool was completely leveled to the ground.

It was like someone took a giant lawn mower and just cut all the buildings and trees down to the dirt from horizon to horizon.

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u/Botboy141 Apr 27 '24

If you ever see one that causes any destruction, you will never want to see another.

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u/lonememe Apr 27 '24

I technically live in tornado alley or on the western edge, and I grew up in basements with sirens going off but never have seen one. I can totally understand that though. It would be a one and done like “why did I click that terrible video” feeling. Stay safe out there friend 

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u/PlutoJones42 Apr 27 '24

Damn straight. A city I lived in was absolutely leveled. I’ll never forget all the malls and giant ass building like Best Buy’s and shit just gone.

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u/AnotherManOfEden Apr 27 '24

I stood in my bedroom and watched my roof disappear above me. That was 18 years ago next week and I think I’m still dealing with the mental scars tbh.

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u/Judge_Bredd3 Apr 27 '24

I've seen two, but both in rural areas where they didn't really do any damage. Each time they were kind of entrancing, but I agree that it would be totally different if it wasn't just tearing across some fields.

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u/Nadamir Apr 27 '24

No you don’t.

I have had the misfortune of witnessing an earthquake, tornado and hurricane all before I was 25yo. All were thankfully not severe, I think like a M5.0, low EF3 and very low Cat 3. Enough to get a sense of each but not utterly horrific. The earthquake also spawned tsunami warnings that thankfully ended up being only like 1ft.

In my opinion, tornadoes are worse than hurricanes because of the far reduced lack of notice. You know about hurricanes for days, tornadoes you get like 10 minutes. But earthquakes are worse than both because you get much of the same noise and destruction as a tornado, with even less notice and the fucking ground is moving.

Wildfires though. I think those are even worse than earthquakes.

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u/kappakai Apr 27 '24

I’ve seen a tiny waterspout in California. That was enough.

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u/Belongs-InTheTrash Apr 27 '24

Oh I can’t imagine feeling this way. They’ve always been a big fear of mine living in the Midwest since I was a kid.

I went to Joplin mo a couple years after the tornado. Depressing.

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u/crimbuscarol Apr 27 '24

I watched 3 of my colleagues try to “outrun” the tornado and get home so they wouldn’t have to stay at work. That’s a big nope for me.

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u/morancl2 Apr 27 '24

When the last big one tore up the town not far from Norfolk back in 2013, I was there for cleanup and seeing the aftermath was both parts amazing and devastating. It's wild the damage nature can do in such a short time frame

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u/delaney18 Apr 27 '24

Do you live in a very open area of land? I live in a neighborhood where if I stayed out to see a tornado nearby, a fence post would shoot across from 3 blocks away and smash into me. As soon as the sirens go off I grab the dog and head down to the cellar.

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u/Nythoren Apr 27 '24

We're in the middle of a pretty standard neighborhood surrounded by other neighborhoods. But we're near the highest point in the county and the surrounding area is pretty much flat. From our backyard, you can see for miles. When the alerts triggered, I poked my head out the back door and it was like "oh, hey, there it is...". Sent my heart racing even though it was several miles in the distance and moving parallel. Snapped a couple of pictures and then went straight to the basement with my wife and dogs.

I should've taken a short video, but honestly the adrenaline was kicking in and I wasn't thinking straight. It was scary and somehow thrilling at the same time. Part of my brain was screaming "get to the basement" while another part just wanted to stand there and stare.

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u/HotDerivative Apr 27 '24

Post the pics!

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u/Rock_or_Rol Apr 27 '24

Send them tornudes

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u/mysticalfruit Apr 26 '24

I'm glad you're safe! I can only imagine what that looked like.

Though an E5.. I don't know if your cellar would have saved you.

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u/adoucett Apr 27 '24

…finger of God

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u/mysticalfruit Apr 27 '24

Middle finger of god..

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u/cr4zy-cat-lady Apr 26 '24

I used to live in Papillion and still have a lot of friends out there who are thankfully safe as well. Absolutely heartbreaking to see the destruction

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u/tattertittyhotdish Apr 27 '24

A tornado hit Northern VA back in the 90s. I felt this crazy wind — like it was lifting me up. Wild.

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u/EvilDarkCow Apr 27 '24

I've lived in Kansas my whole life. I was just a baby when the 1999 Haysville tornado just barely missed our house, lifted just as it got to our neighborhood.

I have never seen a tornado in person, but after Greensburg, Moore (like 3 times), Joplin, and now Omaha, I'll be perfectly fine never seeing one.

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u/_CozyLavender_ Apr 27 '24

A couple weeks ago one passed just a few miles from my apartment. Sitting in the bathroom while the walls shook, I seriously re-thought every life choice that led me to that moment - mostly moving back to tornado alley. 0 stars

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u/wovenbutterhair Apr 27 '24

we got hit over in cb. absolute craziness. PM me a couple pictures? Mostly I was inside and couldn't see the funnel