Storms rake eastern Nebraska, western Iowa with high winds

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A line of thunderstorms sent high winds, rain and some hail over eastern Nebraska and into Iowa on Monday morning, knocking down tree limbs and causing power outages.

The storms raced over parts of eastern Nebraska before 9 a.m. Monday, bring wind gusts of up to 70 mph. The storms started in northeastern Nebraska and northwestern Iowa, dropping heavy rains and high winds, but consisted mostly of strong straight-line winds as the storms pushed south into areas that include Lincoln and Omaha, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Barjenbruch said.

“Once that rain-cooled air hit the ground, it surged over 100 miles, sending incredibly strong winds over the area,” Barjenbruch said.

Omaha Public Power District reported more than 55,500 customers without power in Omaha and surrounding communities.

Later in the morning, the storms had moved into southwestern and central Iowa, including Des Moines and Ames, where straight-line gusts of up to 80 mph set off a number of tornado sirens. Barjenbruch said no tornadoes were reported with the storms by late Monday morning, but warned that the strength of the straight-line winds was still a concern.

“People should take these storms seriously,” he said. “These winds are incredibly strong.”

The storms were expected to push into western Iowa and into Illinois by later in the day, he said.