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Nebraska Storm Rips Off Penitentiary Roof and Displaces Hundreds of Inmates

Officials have closed the penitentiary to visitors pending a monthlong repair effort after security footage showed the roofs ripping off.

Image
A woman was killed and a man critically injured after a tree fell onto their truck during Saturday's storm in Waterloo, Nebraska, August 9, 2025. (Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook)
Guards observe inmates at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, in Lincoln, Nebraska on October 25, 2019.

Overview

  • Nebraska Department of Correctional Services released video showing winds over 80 mph tearing the roof off two dormitory-style units at the state penitentiary.
  • All 387 displaced inmates were safely accounted for—250 relocated to on-site housing and 137 transferred to Omaha Correctional Center and Tecumseh State Correctional Institution—with no reported injuries among staff or prisoners.
  • Contractors are set to assess structural damage and officials anticipate repairs will take at least a month before restoring visitor access.
  • Waterloo Volunteer Fire Department confirmed one woman died and a man suffered life-threatening injuries when a fallen cottonwood crushed their vehicle at Two Rivers State Park.
  • Thousands remain without power as crews work to restore service and the National Weather Service warns of additional severe storms across the Midwest.