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On the afternoon of April 26, 2024, a powerful and destructive tornado tore through the communities of Waterloo, Elkhorn, Bennington, and Blair, Nebraska, injuring four people. This was the first of two EF4 tornadoes during a major outbreak between April 25 and 28, 2024.
The tornado reached its peak strength in Elkhorn and just south of Blair, where the National Weather Service in Omaha determined it to be a low-end EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Wind speeds reached a staggering 170 mph (270 km/h).
This marked the first violent tornado of the 2024 season and one of two EF4-level tornadoes in April.
Tornado Activity
On April 26, 2024, a powerful tornado touched down near the Platte River, south of West Q Road in Nebraska. Initially rated EF0-EF1, the storm quickly strengthened to EF2 as it tore through homes and farmland, overturning center pivots and damaging silos near US 275. As the tornado moved northeast, it triggered a tornado emergency. It maintained destructive strength until it weakened slightly as it crossed the Elkhorn River southeast of Waterloo, leaving a trail of damaged homes, outbuildings, and trees.
When the tornado reached Elkhorn, Nebraska, it became violently stronger. Winds peaked at 170 mph as the storm leveled homes and businesses along 216th Street. Initially rated high-end EF3, the National Weather Service later upgraded the damage to EF4 after finding that parts of a home had been completely swept away. The tornado continued into the Ramblewood subdivision, destroying houses with winds up to 155 mph before growing to nearly a mile wide and hitting Bennington with even more destruction.
In Washington County, the storm surged back to EF3 intensity, wreaking havoc on homes, outbuildings, and trees near County Road 29. By the time it reached Blair, the tornado intensified to EF4 again, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying homes. After crossing US 75, it weakened as it entered Iowa, causing minor damage to trees and farmland before finally dissipating after traveling over 32 miles in 61 minutes, leaving four people injured in its path of devastation.
Every insurance policy is different. You should contact your broker/agent or your insurance company to determine the amount of coverage that you have.
First, contact a water-damage restoration company, such as PuroClean, as soon as possible. Don’t wait, as water can cause mold and irremediable damage to the wood, walls, and carpet in your home. Then, contact your insurance company to start the claim process. If safe, shut off the utilities in your home to avoid further damage. Don’t enter your home if it has suffered structural damage. Don’t walk through floodwater if electricity hasn’t been turned off, and avoid contaminants.
There are many variables that determine whether a flooded home can be saved: the amount of water is one, even more important is the amount of time the water was in/around the home. Every situation is different!
Water damage can occur after natural disasters, such as thunderstorms or hurricanes that cause flooding, from pipe bursts, appliance malfunctions, roof leaks, foundation leaks, septic tank overflows, poor drainage, and more. Flash flooding, pipe bursts, and sewage backups are especially dangerous as they can produce several inches of water in less than a day.
Every insurance policy is different. You should contact your broker/agent or your insurance company to determine the amount of coverage that you have.
First, contact a water-damage restoration company, such as PuroClean, as soon as possible. Don’t wait, as water can cause mold and irremediable damage to the wood, walls, and carpet in your home. Then, contact your insurance company to start the claim process. If safe, shut off the utilities in your home to avoid further damage. Don’t enter your home if it has suffered structural damage. Don’t walk through floodwater if electricity hasn’t been turned off, and avoid contaminants.
There are many variables that determine whether a flooded home can be saved: the amount of water is one, even more important is the amount of time the water was in/around the home. Every situation is different!
Water damage can occur after natural disasters, such as thunderstorms or hurricanes that cause flooding, from pipe bursts, appliance malfunctions, roof leaks, foundation leaks, septic tank overflows, poor drainage, and more. Flash flooding, pipe bursts, and sewage backups are especially dangerous as they can produce several inches of water in less than a day.
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