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Heartland in Recovery Mode after Turbulent Storms

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Residents across America's heartland are in recovery mode Tuesday after another day of turbulent weather. Heavy rains brought flooding in areas from Texas to Illinois.

"I looked outside and the water started to come down. It came down real bad. Next thing I know, our basement is flooding up," Des Plaines, Illinois, resident Ramone Murray recalled.

In Ohio, heavy rains caused massive flooding that almost buried cars in a mall parking lot.

"It really got ugly out there," Chief Ray Anthony, with the Columbia Station Fire Department, said.

Several residents, including a 97-year-old woman, had to be rescued from their flooded homes. A meteorologist also had to be pulled from his water-soaked car.

The latest storms are the same ones that spurned a cluster of violent tornadoes across Nebraska and central Iowa over Mother's Day weekend.

In Nebraska, high winds ripped off roof tops, damaging homes and businesses. South central Nebraska was the hardest hit. 

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, who is touring several cities to observe the storm damage, issued a disaster declaration.

"The winds were somewhere between 75 to 100 miles per hour and clearly we saw the extent of what that wind could do," Heineman said.

The tornadoes, which caused millions of dollars in damages, destroyed one dairy farm.

Parts of Indiana and Iowa were hit by strong thunderstorms and hail, which caused some power outages.

"We're concerned because my husband and I have a lot of meat in the freezer," said Jeannie Hastings, whose home lost power during the storms.

Meanwhile, the West is seeing extreme weather of a different kind: up to three feet of snow fell on parts of the Rockies, while residents in California are bracing for record-setting heat.

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About The Author

Charlene Aaron
Charlene
Aaron

Charlene Aaron serves as a general assignment reporter, news anchor, co-host of The 700 Club, co-host of 700 Club Interactive, and co-host of The Prayerlink on the CBN News Channel. She covers various social issues, such as abortion, gender identity, race relations, and more. Before joining CBN News in 2003, she was a personal letter writer for Dr. Pat Robertson. Charlene attended Old Dominion University and Elizabeth City State University. She is an ordained minister and pastor’s wife. She lives in Smithfield, VA, with her husband.