Multiple tornadoes hit central US states

WASHINGTON - Several tornadoes hit central U.S. states of Iowa and Nebraska Friday evening, causing considerable property damage, local media reported.

One tornado occurred in the northeast Nebraska town of Wayne at about 6:30 p.m. EDT (1030 GMT). Several people were trapped in a building there, and a hazardous materials crew was en route to evaluate a gas leak at a supply company, local officials said.

Local weather service also reported that the tornado destroyed a farm house, but it's unclear if anyone was in the house. Witnesses said a number of houses were destroyed south of Wayne.

Meanwhile, at least two tornadoes, one of them a mile (1.6 km) wide, were reported near Sioux City, Iowa.

A "large and extremely dangerous" tornado was located near the town of Cherokee, Iowa, and moving northeast, the National Weather Service reported, urging local residents to take shelter immediately.

Witnesses also reported significant damage in the town of Moville, Iowa, where a second tornado estimated at a mile wide hit shortly before 8 p.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

The worst damage officials saw in the region was at Sioux Jerseys Dairy, which received heavy structural damage and a propane leak and has lost many cows.

No injuries have been reported in Iowa so far, and the damage is still being assessed, local media said.

The National Weather Service said the tornadoes were part of a "supercell" storm system that moved into the Midwest after dumping almost 3 feet (0.9 meters) of snow on parts of Central states Wyoming and South Dakota.