A spate of tornadoes touched down parts of Nebraska, tearing up trees, powerlines, farm buildings and damaging some homes, and one storm chaser had an extraordinarily close encounter with a forming twister.

National Weather Service meteorologist said the service received more than a dozen credible reports of tornado sightings from around south-central Nebraska but said some of those were likely of the same tornado.

One tornado near McCook damaged a farmhouse. elderly couple was in the home at the time, but suffered only some scratches and bruises.