‘I’ve never seen anything like this’: Woman rescued from rubble as Nebraska tornado hits
By Sarah Fili
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BLAIR, Nebraska (KETV) — Omaha’s weather leader saw a rain-wrapped tornado tear across Washington County, leveling homes on Highway 75 outside Blair.
Moments later, KETV NewsWatch 7’s Sarah Fili captured the destruction.
“My ears started just popping the high pressure and got down in the basement. Heard a heard a window break, and then it was just the roar going through,” said Julie Sesemann.
Storm chaser Shannon Bielski stopped to help after the storm shot right in front of her.
“I went to check on that house there. We saw the lady, or I saw the lady, and she came out, and she was asking about her neighbor, didn’t even notice that there was a house here, completely gone,” she said.
Medics rushed a woman from a home to the hospital after the tornado rolled right over top of her.
Five miles south of Blair an entire neighborhood is no more.
“There’s propane tanks that are flipped. There’s houses that they’re not even on their foundation. You don’t even know where they were. I’ve never, never seen anything like this. I’ve million and a half miles to drive in and I’ve I’ve never seen anything like this,” said John Wells, a volunteer helping to clean up the destruction.
Pete Coen said he was outside watching the storm roll in, and he saw the skies darken and the clouds begin rotating. He bolted inside.
“Went this far back in the storage room as we could go, boards crack and glass flying covered in insulation,” Coen said.
He said it was over in just five minutes.
He stepped outside to see his home and most others in the neighborhood destroyed.
Trees were sheared off at their bases, wood tossed around like toothpicks, the path of the storm through Blair was clear and devastating.
“It’s just a house, and, uh, you know, we’re alive, and I don’t have a scratch on me,” Coen said.
Washington County has put a curfew in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to prevent looting and sightseeing. The curfew will last every day through Monday morning. Anyone entering must show proof of residency.
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