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One dead after tornadoes tear through northeast Nebraska

At least person is dead after violent tornadoes tore through northeast Nebraska Monday afternoon and evening.

The National Weather Service will survey the damage today. In Stanton County, the town of Pilger was hit by at least one tornado. Stanton County Emergency Management Agency Director Sanford Goshorn says Pilger "is gone" after the storm cut through the center of town. Goshorn says Pilger has no water, sewer, or electricity service.

Hospital officials say 19 people were also injured due to the massive storm but some have been released and one patient has been transferred to an Omaha trauma center. A spokeswoman for Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk said Monday that the hospital was treating 16 tornado patients. Some of those patients were later released, others went into surgery, and one was transferred to Omaha.

Providence Medical Center in nearby Wayne treated three tornado patients, including two who had
lacerations. Providence Medical Center spokeswoman Sandy Bartling says two were released later Monday evening, and a third patient was in stable condition.

Governor Dave Heineman has declared a state of emergency following Monday's storms.