Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Residents began sifting through the rubble Saturday after a tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolishing homes and businesses as it moved for miles through farmland and into subdivisions, then slamming an Iowa town.
The Friday night tornadoes wreaked havoc in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes.
There have been several injuries but no fatalities reported.
By Saturday morning, the sounds of chainsaws filled the air in the Elkhorn neighbourhood of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people with a metropolitan area population of about 1 million. Lumber from the damaged homes lay in piles. Fences were knocked over and the trees were skeletal, missing most of their branches.
Power outages peaked at 10,000, but had dropped to 4,300 by morning.
"We could hear it coming through," said Pat Woods, who lives in Elkhorn. "When we came up, our fence was gone and we looked to the northwest and the whole neighbourhood's gone."
Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said Saturday that the fire department had completed its search of damaged homes and structures. He described the injuries as minor.
The sheriff of the city's Douglas County, Aaron Hanson, begged the community in a message on the social media platform X to not drive to the damaged areas for "mere entertainment." He said gawkers were causing traffic jams and could slow emergency vehicles.
Meanwhile, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen posted on X that he had ordered state resources to be made available to help. He and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds planned to tour damaged areas. And Pillen planned a news conference later Saturday in Omaha.
The storm churned up 78 potential tornadoes, mostly in Iowa and Nebraska, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in its latest briefing report.
The National Weather Service had not yet confirmed their strength. But the Omaha office said in a message on X that some of the damage its crews were encountering appeared consistent with EF3 twisters, which pack peak winds of 150 mph (241 kph).
One of them hit an industrial building to the west of Omaha, in Nebraska's Lancaster County, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside. Several were trapped, but everyone was evacuated and the three injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.
Sheriff's officials there also said they had reports of a tipped-over train near Waverly, Nebraska.
Another tornado passed over Eppley Airfield on the eastern edge of Omaha, destroying four hanger buildings with 32 privately owned planes inside. No one was hurt and the passenger terminal was not hit. The airport has resumed operations, although access to areas used by noncommercial pilots is limited so crew can clean up the mess, the airfield said in a news release.
After hitting the airport, the storm moved into Iowa, taking aim at the small town of Minden.
Forty to 50 homes were completely destroyed. Two injuries were reported but none were life-threatening, said Jeff Theulen, chief deputy of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, at a late Friday briefing.
"It's heartbreaking to see these people who have lost houses, cars, essentially their life until they have to rebuild it," he said, urging people to stay away because of downed power lines.
At the Minden United Church of Christ, which survived the storm and has become a community hub of help and support, there were plans to take 4-wheel-drive vehicles out to devastated parts of town to bring meals to those who need them, Pastor Eric Biehl said.
Gopala Penmetsa walks past his house after it was leveled by a tornado near Omaha, Neb., on Friday, April 26, 2024. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
A lot of people are just kind of in shock," Biehl said. "It's all overwhelming now."
Tammy Pavich, who stores equipment on the west edge of town, said she "kind of breathed a sigh of relief" after the first round of tornadoes moved through Omaha. Then, she recalled, the storm "hit Minden dead-on."
Todd Lehan, a lifelong resident of the town, said he took shelter in a windowless basement.
"It sounded like a vacuum cleaner on top of your house," he recalled.
The damage was causing headaches for Nebraska football fans headed to the spring game.
"Be prepared for heavy traffic, buckle up and put the phone down," warned the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
Even as the National Weather Service worked to evaluate the damage, the forecast for Saturday was ominous. It issued tornado watches early Saturday for northwestern Texas and across western Oklahoma. FEMA also said the tornado outbreak could extend into Kansas and Missouri.
"Tornadoes, perhaps significant tornadoes," were possible Saturday afternoon and evening, said weather service meteorologist Bruce Thoren in Norman, Oklahoma.
------
Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington; contributed to this report.
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Connor McDavid tipped Evan Bouchard's shot from the boards past Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger 32 seconds into the second overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final..
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.
The proprietors of Regina's sole discount theatre are aware they're carrying on a significant legacy.
When Jujhar Mann said he wanted to be a pastry chef on a grade school career project, he didn't imagine that pursuing his dream would land him on a popular Netflix baking competition.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.