LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Gov. Mike Johanns declared a state of emergency Saturday night after tornadoes and severe storms swept through south-central and southeastern portions of the state and caused flash flooding in some areas.
A swath of severe storms, including several reported tornadoes, ripped through the area. Brian Smith, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Valley, said there were 19 confirmed tornado sightings, though that could have included multiple reports of the same tornado in different locations.
No injuries were initially reported. But the heaviest damage, from high winds and hail, initially was reported in several southern Nebraska counties, particularly near the towns of Hallam, Firth, Wilbur and Beatrice.
Authorities said that Norris High School near Firth sustained heavy damage.
Some areas reported four to six inches of rain and widespread flash flooding. Tornado warnings had all expired shortly after midnight, though flash flood warnings remained in effect near Beatrice, Wilbur and West Point, until early Sunday morning, Smith said.
Authorities closed U.S. Highway 77 into near Clatonia and Hallam and state Highway 41 from Wilbur into Hallam, said Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins.
The Red Cross set up a staging area at Southwest High School in Lincoln, she said.
Smith said the storms were slow moving, and confirmed a tornado as late as 11 p.m. CDT. west of Beatrice.
Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said damage in Hallam included several houses destroyed, damage to businesses, power lines down and high flood waters in some areas, though no injuries.
Johanns planned to tour the area Sunday.
Seven homes were reported destroyed in Clay County and two farmsteads were destroyed in Fillmore County, said Johanns' spokeswoman, Terri Teuber.
The Saline County Sheriff's office confirmed a tornado in the Wilbur area. Teuber said a total of ten homes in Swanton and Wilbur were destroyed.
Wagner said Hallam residents, some of which had been trapped in their homes because of damage, were being taken by bus to Lincoln Southwest High School.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency was to begin storm assessments on Sunday, Teuber said. Johanns' declaration makes available national guard troops, access to the governor's emergency fund and potential federal resources, she said.
The Adams County Sheriff's reported a tornado in Pauline, 12 miles south of Hastings. The storm damaged buildings, trees and power lines and tipped over some trailers, a dispatcher said.
Theresa Keck, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in North Platte, said a tornado hit one mile north of Oconto at 6:34 p.m. CDT. The same tornado was spotted at 7:17 p.m. three miles west of Ansley, she said.
Keck said there were no reports of damage from that twister.
Smith said a tornado hit one mile northwest of Douglas in Otoe County at 9:14 p.m. He also said another tornado hit one mile north of Firth, causing heavy damage.
Teuber said damage was also reported in Cass and Furnas counties.
Portions of Saline and Lancaster counties received about three inches of rain, Smith said. Two-inch diameter hail was reported in Fremont, he said.
Keck reported hail as large as three inches in diameter in Purdum, in central Nebraska.
Winds reached 77 miles per hour at the National Weather Service office in North Platte, she said.
Heavy winds ripped off an air conditioning unit at a Fremont Wal-Mart store. The unit landed on a sport utility vehicle.
The National Weather Service also was reporting gas leaks around Fremont.
The Weather Service had weather spotters reporting a tornado in Alma.
McPherson County Sheriff James Scott the Tryon area received heavy rain, some hail and heavy winds. Broken branches and trees were seen throughout the area, he said.
The National Weather Service in Valley was also reporting golf-ball-sized hail near Schuyler, in northeast Nebraska.
Three-quarters inch hail was reported north of North Platte.
Most of the northeast portion of North Platte lost power after the storm swept through the area.
Nebraska Public Power District reported that the storm interrupted service to numerous southeast Nebraska communities, estimating that some 26,000 customers are without power. That includes outages on lines carrying power to customers from its Sheldon Station generating facility near Hallam, causing both of the station's coal-fired units to shut down.
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