Emergency shelter established for displaced residents after Omaha tornados

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ELKHORN, Neb. (WOWT) - Officials with Omaha's police and fire departments provided an update on their next steps after Friday's disastrous severe weather.

Just before 4 p.m., a strong tornado ripped through the northwest corridor of the city, flattening homes in Elkhorn and causing significant damage, according to Omaha Fire Department Chief Kathy Bossman, who spoke with the media Friday evening.

Separate tornados impacted the towns of Bennington, Waterloo, and Blair, among others.

The American Red Cross has established an emergency shelter for displaced residents at the Common Ground Recreation and Aquatic Center at 1701 Veterans Drive in Elkhorn. Pets are welcome.

The Omaha Police Department also opened a command and reunification center near 204th and Maple Street in the parking lot of St. Patrick's Catholic Church of Elkhorn. Officers — along with crews from the Red Cross and the Salvation Army — will be stationed there, providing assistance as needed.

Bossman said OFD crews are getting ready to begin detailed searches of the impacted neighborhoods, which include Ramblewood, Arbor View, and Arbor Ridge in Elkhorn.

Given the extent of the damage and the nature of the storm, Bossman said it's possible there are victims trapped in homes. Properties with the most damage will be searched first, and crews will go from there.

Bossman said every single house and property in the effected region will be searched throughout the night and into Saturday morning.

While most people want to jump at the opportunity to help their neighbors, Bossman said it's critical for them to stay away from the impacted neighborhoods until authorities are able to organize volunteers, which they expect to do after the searches have concluded and the sites are deemed safe for civilians.

According to Bossman, there's potential for downed power lines, gas leaks, as well unstable structures and trees — all hazards that only trained crews should be dealing with.

While the property damage is undoubtedly severe, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer told the media Friday that as of around 6:45 p.m., only two injuries had been reported. Those victims were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

"We've been very fortunate with very few injuries [reported so far]," Schmaderer said. "It seems like our warning systems in the city of Omaha have been very effective. We were not hit upon a sudden storm. People had warning of this, and that saved lives, in our opinion."

Schmaderer said there are "extras" coming into the Omaha metro to help with the disaster relief and to keep 911 services available across the city for storm and non-storm related incidents.

"Right now, our prime considerations are search and rescue, traffic control, and supporting the Omaha Fire Department," Schmaderer said. "The preservation of life and the continuity of emergency services is something the Omaha Police Department is most concerned with right now," Schmaderer said.

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