Tornado Wrecks Neb. Homes, Several Hurt
Pastor Dale Morgan
Tornado Wrecks Neb. Homes, Several Hurt*
Sunday April 22, 2007 7:16 AM
By NELSON LAMPE
Associated Press Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A tornado ripped up farmsteads in western Nebraska
and injured several people as thunderstorms rippled across the Plains.
The twister that struck late Friday spread debris along a path that was
up to a half-mile wide in places, the Frontier County sheriff's office
said Saturday.
In neighboring Dawson County, it followed a course about 18 miles long
and came within a mile of Gothenburg, a city of about 4,000, said
weather service meteorologist Scott Bryant in Hastings.
The twister was 3/4 of a mile to a mile in width, said weather service
meteorologist Corey King.
The violent weather destroyed a farm house about 20 miles east of
Wellfleet, and damaged others in Frontier County and east of Moorefield,
authorities said.
``At the farmstead I'm sitting at right now the roof of the newly
constructed building is gone,'' Dawson County emergency management
director Brian Woldt said Saturday. ``I have power lines scattered and
power poles snapped in some areas.''
Several vehicles were blown off Interstate 80 just west of Gothenburg,
likely by straight-line wind, said Bryant.
John Johnson, chief executive officer at Gothenburg Memorial Hospital,
said nine people injured in collisions or when their vehicles were blown
over were brought to his emergency room. One was taken to a trauma
center in Kearney and the others were treated and released.