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A powerful storm which brought with it hail and maybe tornadoes hit the state of Nebraska Thursday night. The powerful winds damaged businesses, tore up trees, downed power lines and even derailed train cars, CNN reported.
According to initial reports, a tornado touched down near the town of Aurora, about 70 miles west of Lincoln. The twister caused damage to several businesses and to one house, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said in its report.
There were no reports of any deaths or severe injuries.
However, the city’s downtown seemed didn’t suffer much damage. Aside from some twisted trees and metal buildings, all the things seemed to be in place. A section of Interstate 80 near Aurora was closed by authorities.
Other possible tornadoes may have touched down in Kearney, a town located nearly 60 miles west of Aurora, where the very strong wind blew 90 rail cars off their tracks on the city’s outskirts. Besides the downed trees and power lines, the tornadoes also damaged the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus as well as a county fairground.
Another tornado may have spawned through a rural area near Belleville in north-central Kansas. About six homes were damaged, reports show.
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman declared a state of emergency Thursday night. The state of emergency allows access to state and federal resources for storm cleanup. Heineman said that, although the full extent of the damage won’t be known until tomorrow, it seems that the hardest hit was Kearney.
“That is where our assistance will be focused overnight," added Heineman, who will reportedly travel on Friday to the areas hit by the storm system.
Authorities warned Buffalo County residents to remain inside their homes.
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