Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert said Wednesday, crews were out assessing damage from an apparent tornado crossed over from Pottawattamie into Shelby County, Wednesday afternoon. His preliminary report indicated the damage was minimal, and no injuries had been reported.

Photo provided by Shelby County EMA

Seivert said some downed power lines were observed at 400th and M-16, and on Juniper Road. Damage to an outbuilding and trees at one rural location, was additionally being investigated. As was the case in Pottawattamie County, Emergency Management personnel called for spotters to be placed into position prior to the storms moving into the area. Just before 2-p.m., the National Weather service issued a Tornado Warning for Shelby County, with reports of a funnel cloud crossing the interstate and strong rotation indicated by radar.

Spotters were placed countywide, and sirens activated for the cities, of Tennant and Harlan. At 2:08-p.m. Seivert says a wind gust at the Harlan airport was clocked at 76 mph and heavy rain was occurring. An Emergency Management spotter reported a tornado on the ground with debris at about the same time. The tornado warning was cancelled at 2:12-p.m. Seivert said “This was a very unusual event for November.”