Stunning footage captured the moment a powerful tornado slammed onto a Nebraska highway and hurtled dangerously close to moving cars.
The terrifying twister was one of at least two dozen tornadoes that swept through several states, including Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana and Louisiana.
Video footage shows the massive weather system building near the Nebraska Freeway before closing in on oncoming traffic.
The ominous spiral whirlwind can then be seen from within inches of the highway as cars try to pass by.
Severe weather is predicted to pound the Great Plains and the South into the weekend as the storm front flattens buildings in its path.
Aerial photos showed that the roof was ripped off a grocery store in Noble, Oklahoma, where at least four other businesses and homes were flattened by the storm.
Tornado damage near Cole, Oklahoma was clearly visible, as seen in this photo that ripped the roof off a barn
Shocking footage Friday showed how a supermarket roof in Noble, Oklahoma, was ripped off
A gas station in Noble, Oklahoma sustained significant damage after being hit by the storm
Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana were battered by bad weather Thursday night and at least 16 terrifying tornadoes as bad weather rolls through the heart of the country
The National Weather Service has issued tornado warnings through Friday night in numerous counties in Nebraska and Kansas, while additional severe weather warnings have been put in place from Missouri to Texas.
Gusts of up to 75 mph caused significant structural damage in several states, while the storm also saw large hailstorms and heavy rainfall in numerous counties.
Much of the damage was in rural areas of the Midwest, prompting the National Weather Service to warn that the full extent of the devastation will not be known until tomorrow morning.
There are no immediate reports of deaths from the tornadoes.
In Weskan, Kansas, a multi-vortex tornado tore off part of a school roof, also damaging numerous structures, including stadium bleachers and a scoreboard.
“When we left the shelter – it was in the main gym – I saw a waterfall [as] the roof was quite damaged and water was coming in from the rain,” said Weskan Schools Principal Jeff Montero KWCH.
“And as we walked through the building, we saw broken glass. And then upstairs, my office and a few other offices and classrooms and stuff, you can look up and see the sky.’
Weskan Schools was only three days away from the end of the year and had prepared the alum-funded grandstands for their graduation ceremony.
The $75,000 bleachers were only on the school for a week and a half before the twister mutilated the building. However, Montero admitted that he was “just glad no one got hurt.”
In Weskan, Kansas, a multi-vortex tornado tore off part of a school roof while also damaging stadium bleachers, a scoreboard and more
Weskan Schools was only three days away from the end of the year and had prepared the alum-funded grandstands for their graduation ceremony. The $75,000 bleachers were only on the school for a week and a half before the twister mutilated the building
A tree appeared to block a Kansas roadway after one of the twisters (pictured)
Other tornadoes also touched down in McDonald, Grove County and Edson in Kansas, according to Battery weather.
In Colorado, many short-lived tornadoes were spotted bouncing around near Arapahoe County – near Denver. More tornadoes were also seen in Nebraska.
Outside of the twisters, the Great Plains suffered heavy rains and hail, with some areas receiving an average of two months of rain in two days.
Cherry Creek Reservoir State Park in Colorado received about 10 inches on Tuesday, damaging several roads, with huge holes and cracks in the asphalt.