The Nation - News from July 17, 1988

National Guardsmen sealed off half of Council Bluffs, Iowa, to protect against looting as crews cleared trees and other debris strewn there and in Omaha by tornadoes that wiped out entire blocks. At least 10,000 homes had some damage from the twisters that slammed into the two Missouri River cities Friday, a county official estimated. From 100 to 130 houses were destroyed or suffered major structural damage, authorities said. Insurance adjusters counted 160 homes as severely damaged and said the losses probably would reach $20 million to $25 million, the Omaha World-Herald reported. At least 94 people suffered injuries, mostly minor, when wind gusting to 92 m.p.h. downed power lines, uprooted trees and ripped roofs off houses in a two-mile stretch along Interstate 29.