OMAHA, Neb. – Severe thunderstorms rocked eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa on Wednesday, causing widespread power outages in the Omaha metro area.

The FOX Forecast Center described the storm system as a bow echo as it moved across the Cornhusker State’s largest city, resulting in extensive wind damage.

Wind gusts around Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, the region’s busiest airport, reached 90 mph.

 Immediately following the storm, the airport was closed for several hours so that crews could conduct what was described as a damage assessment. The airport has since resumed operations.

Elsewhere in Nebraska, damage to awnings and trees was widespread, with PowerOutage.US reporting more than a quarter of a million outages during the peak of the storm.

The Omaha Public Power District, the region’s largest utility provider, said the severe weather event was the largest restoration effort in recent memory and encouraged customers to be patient while its crews began the cleanup process.

“The windstorm that struck the OPPD service territory caused power outages to 220,545 customers,” OPPD stated Wednesday night. “There have been reports of wind gusts up to 100 mph in some areas. There is heavy tree damage and reports of downed wires across the area. Our crews are assessing the damage and are in the early stages of what is one of our largest restoration efforts as of late.”

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WHAT IS A DERECHO?

City officials in Lincoln, a town also hit hard by severe winds, reported power outages to the town’s wells temporarily disrupted water supplies and were urging residents to conserve water.  

The National Weather Service office for the region indicated that most of the damage reports were from straight-line winds, but meteorologists would need to determine in the coming days if there were any embedded tornadoes in the storms.

“Clearly, the damage is extensive and intense over a huge area, almost exclusively due to straight-line winds. We have some reports of “gustnado” type of circulations, and some that will need to be evaluated for whether there are tornado damage tracks embedded within the straight-line wind region,” Brian Barjenbruch, a meteorologist at the NWS office, stated.

Despite the flurry of severe weather, local authorities did not report any deaths associated with the event.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium also reported extensive tree damage, but staff said all employees and animals were accounted for.

SEE IT: FUNNEL CLOUD PHOTOBOMBS NEBRASKA

Wednesday’s severe storms generated dozens of damage reports across the Plains and the Midwest.

The majority of the issues involved downed trees and power lines, as well as damage to roofs and windows, according to initial reports received by the Storm Prediction Center.

The region is expected to clear out from additional severe weather chances as a frontal boundary that has been slow to move finally begins its eastward advancement.