EYE OF THE STORM
Wild video of tornado-ravaged Minden after storm rips through Iowa town toppling homes and triggering power outages
Only residents are now permitted within the town limits
DRONE footage has revealed the devastation left behind in a residential area following a tornado's touchdown.
Minden, Iowa, was faced with a relentless tornado Friday evening that left an estimated 120 homes and businesses damaged or demolished.
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Images and video from the hours following the disastrous weather event show homes completely razed, debris scattered through streets and lawns, and the overall destruction caused by the tornado.
Located just 30 minutes outside of Omaha, Nebraska, Minden is a small town, and nearly half of all the residences were affected by the tornado, according to early reports provided by local ABC affiliate KETV.
As the tornado touched down, the county's emergency management declared a state of emergency.
“Due to the hazardous conditions, only residents of Minden will be granted access at this time,” the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency said in a release.
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Drone footage released by the Weather Channel shows the path of destruction left by the ravaging tornado.
Aerial video shows one neighborhood with roughly 50% of homes completely toppled and the remaining abodes standing with varying levels of damage.
Many homes, while not completely leveled, had their roofs or upper levels of their homes ripped off.
Top-down images reveal disheveled interiors, a snapshot of the disrupted lives of people who evacuated the town or took shelter to save their lives.
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County officials reported that at least four people were treated for tornado-related injuries, with one individual still being treated.
The storm and tornado that touched down in Minden was one of many that ripped through Iowa and Nebraska on Friday; an estimated 10 tornadoes struck central Iowa alone.
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Daniel Fienhold, a local restaurant owner, said he and some customers watched the storm form from the distance of his restaurant.
"It looked like a pretty big tornado was forming" northeast of the town, said Fienhold.
"It started raining, and then it started hailing, and then all the clouds started to kind of swirl and come together, and as soon as the wind started to pick up, that's when I headed for the basement, but we never saw it," he continued, reported CBS News.
The footage also shows destroyed utilities, with severed gas and power lines clearly visible.
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Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman spoke on the damage left behind by the series of tornado touchdowns, tracking from the Minden-area of Iowa through Omaha and its surrounding towns.
"We have power outages, we have power lines down, we have gas leaks, we have unstable structures, we have trees that are down," the fire chief said.
Following evacuation orders, authorities have announced that residents may re-enter the town starting at 8 am on Saturday, but a curfew is in place from 10 pm to 6 am.
Returning residents must first check in at Minden United Church of Christ.
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As community members look forward to having to repair and rebuild their homes, some aid is available.
Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program will give out $5,000 to eligible households with a reported income that's at or below double the federal poverty line.
This grant has flexible use, able to be used for repairs to homes or cars, clothing, food, and temporary housing.
The Disaster Advocacy Program is also open for victims of the tornado.
Aiming to help individuals navigate the literal and figurative rebuilding to come, the program will be open until October 23.
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In the direct aftermath of the storm, the American Red Cross had set up two shelters in Pottawattamie County, but residents did not need them, according to county officials.
Officials say that, at this time, outside aid is not necessary.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines is warning that a second wave of storms, ranging from tornados to massive wind and hail storms, is set to start up Saturday night.
MINDEN IS NOT ALONE
Omaha city officials issued 42 tornado warnings during the storm front on Friday.
Residents of Elkhorn, Nebraska, described the sounds of the strong cyclonic winds that wrought so much destruction.
"We're thankful to be alive. We're very thankful," said Elkhorn resident Jason Sunday to KETV.
He and his family sheltered in place, hiding in the basement as the storm blew in.
"We saw it coming from the southwest, and when it got too close for comfort, we headed downstairs quickly. We were in the downstairs bathtub, and it was just like the movie said, it was like a freight train," he said.
He described the moment they knew their house was being torn away.
"And you knew the roof was coming off because that was a loud pop and sucking motion. It was pretty scary," he recalled.
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"We watched it touch down like 200 yards over there and then we took shelter," Pat Woods, who also lives in Elkhorn, told the Associated Press.
"We could hear it coming through. When we came up our fence was gone and we looked to the northwest and the whole neighborhood's gone."
SURVIVING A TORNADO
MIDWESTERNERS might find it old news, but there are some surefire methods to better protecting yourself in the evet of a tornado.
If it is certain that a tornado will be touching down in you area, the best practice is to avoid an evactue, but if that is not possible, or the storm was not efficiently predicted, there are still safety measures to be taken.
First, get inside if you are outside. then make your way to the centermost part of the building.
Second, if possible, seek shelter underground. Many homes in the midwest have tornado shelters, but basements and even just ground levels are also better places to be than the top floor of a home or building.
Third, shield yourself with cushioned household objects like blankets and pillows. If you have proper shelter, this might not be necessary, but in the event that you are exposed directly to the storm, covering up might save you from flying debris.
Credit: CDC