Tornadoes tear through Nebraska, leave one dead, several injured

A budding mega-storm has unleashed tornadoes, at times two simultaneously, onto Nebraska, leveling one town and wreaking havoc in others in the northeast of the state.

The tornadoes, part of a super-cell thunderstorm system, appeared to be class EF-2 or EF-3 twisters, meaning they packed cyclonic winds of up to 165 miles per hour (265 kph).

At least one person was killed and 16 others critically injured when a pair of tornadoes ripped through the town of Pilger yesterday.

Pilger, a community several blocks wide and home to roughly 350 residents, appeared to bear the brunt of the storms and the heaviest concentration of casualties after one twister struck in late afternoon, local authorities said.

The entire community, located about 100 miles northwest of Omaha, was ordered to be evacuated.