Storms kill 1, injure another and displace hundreds of inmates in Nebraska

Source: AP

By MARGERY A. BECK
Updated 4:46 PM CDT, August 9, 2025

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Strong storms before dawn Saturday in eastern Nebraska killed one person and seriously injured another in a state park and displaced hundreds of inmates after two prison housing units were damaged, officials said, even as other Midwest states also braced for bad weather.

The Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department was called to Two Rivers state park just before 7 a.m. Saturday, where first responders found a vehicle crushed by a large cottonwood tree. The tree had toppled as the storm brought gusts higher than 80 mph (129 kph) to the area, according to the National Weather Service. A woman in the vehicle was declared dead at the scene, while a man was trapped inside, the fire department said in a news release.

It took firefighters about 90 minutes to free the man because of the size and weight of the tree, the department said. Once free, the man was taken to an Omaha hospital with life-threatening injuries, Waterloo Fire Chief Travis Harlow said.

The state park — a popular camping spot — is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Omaha’s western border.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/severe-storms-death-prisoners-nebraska-72d16db09c28236408be21f33aec2348