Waterloo residents begin to rebuild minutes after damaging storm

WATERLOO, Neb. (WOWT) - The wind and rain blew across a community that’s seen it’s fair share of bad weather.

Waterloo, Nebraska has a massive cleanup ahead and 6 News sees that many residents started minutes after the storm moved east.

A frightening shrill heard again in western Douglas County, followed by more familiar sounds.

The wind blasted limbs into streets, and large, heavy crashed onto several roofs in Waterloo leaving damage homeowners must repair.

“It was windy, and watching everything in the backyard blow around, and I heard the bang and roof is leaking now,” Homeowner Steve Pfiefer said.

Anywhere in Waterloo with mature trees, you’ll find several uprooted. Some falling on vehicles and decks. Many homes dodged direct hits, but some suffered severely, the full weight of a trunk-sized branch.

Here, at Ken Hitchler’s house in Waterloo, not only has this big branch fallen on his roof, he’s found holes poked through it, and other damage he’s going to have to fix.

The leaf-filled branches hide much of the damage.

“Knocked my chimney off the roof and then its got holes in it,” Hitchler said. “I never seen wind blow so hard in my life.”

Not only trees down, but fences blown apart by the high winds. The railroad cross arm stuck up, but a train stopped outside of town. On the south side, a house getting some new siding after April’s tornadoes surrounded by debris.

The same place flooded in 2019, and Craig Marshall says he’s lived through every punch thrown by mother nature.

”Please, we’ve had enough,” Marshall said.