The town of Cole, Oklahoma has been devastated after a violent storm system swept through the Midwest on Wednesday night, leaving one person dead and hundreds of first responders struggling to dig through the destruction.
According to the McClain County Sheriff’s Office, the killer tornado was moving east at a speed of 30 mph, prompting a tornado watch for a six- state area including Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Sadly, the tornado caused a death in Cole, leaving many others injured and trapped in shelters. Furthermore, down power lines disrupted the electricity grid, resulting in outages across the region.
The merciless storm system is anticipated to move towards the western Plains overnight Thursday, bringing intense hail and winds of up to 75 mph. Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, have both been given an elevated risk of very large hail and strong, destructive winds. Although the storms are expected to lessen by morning as they make their way cross the Mississippi River and into the Gulf Coast, severe weather activity could persist until Friday.
This event underscores the essence of being ready in the event of any kind of severe weather. Everyone should keep apprised via the latest weather warnings and have a plan of action in place so as to be prepared.