Rainbow provides breathtaking sight in Elkhorn amid Nebraska's tornado destruction
Amidst the chaos and destruction left by a massive and powerful tornado in Elkhorn, a breathtaking sight has emerged, reminding Nebraska residents of nature's beauty and resilience.
Ominous storm clouds set the backdrop as a rainbow formed in the sky Tuesday morning, casting a colorful arc over the devastated landscape.
"This is a very interesting scene, at least in my opinion, because you have a community ... that is reeling and racing to pick up the pieces and gather as much as they can of what was destroyed of their homes before we start to see those dangerous storms move in later today (Tuesday)," FOX Weather's Nicole Valdes said as she reported live Tuesday morning from Elkhorn.
'I HELD ON TO THE DRYER': NEBRASKA TORNADO SURVIVOR SAYS SHE WAS BURIED ALIVE DURING STORM
The number of confirmed tornadoes from the historic weekend outbreak has surpassed 100 between Texas and Iowa, and more are expected, the FOX Forecast Center said. Nebraska was hit by nine of these tornadoes, including an EF-3 in Elkhorn, just west of Omaha. The tornado had wind speeds of 165 mph, was on the ground for over 30 miles, and left only a few walls remaining of several homes.
The tornado produced catastrophic damage in Elkhorn, requiring specialized response teams to help survey the destruction, the National Weather Service said.
NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND OMAHA, NEBRASKA DEVASTATED BY LARGE TORNADO
Damage left behind after a tornado swept through Elkhorn, Nebraska, on April 26, 2024. (Nicole Valdes / FOX Weather)
The Geospatial Insurance Consortium shared before-and-after images of a neighborhood in Elkhorn showing nearly a dozen homes that the twister had taken down to the foundations.
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES IN AMERICA'S HEARTLAND KILL 5 ACROSS 2 STATES DURING WORST OUTBREAK OF 2024
A street in Elkhorn, Nebraska, before and after an EF-3 tornado. (GIC)
Since the severe weather outbreak began, at least five people have died in Iowa and Oklahoma.
Nebraska faces renewed threat of severe weather
Many Elkhorn residents who are recovering from the tornado outbreak will face another round of severe storms starting Tuesday. Although the severe threat levels are not as high this time around, any storm hitting the hardest-hit areas would be a huge setback.
The FOX Forecast Center said thunderstorms will develop during the mid-afternoon from eastern South Dakota into eastern Nebraska. From there, the storms will increase in intensity as they move across Iowa during the late afternoon.
By the time the sun sets, storms will stretch from central Iowa through eastern Kansas and down toward West Texas. The storms will gradually decrease in intensity overnight, with a few instances of damaging wind gusts possible.