Aerial images taken before and after tornado reveal heartbreaking extent of neighbourhood damage

A truly huge storm can be a terrifying event, and few things are scarier than a tornado.

And this weekend saw dozens of tornadoes causing huge amounts of damage through states like Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa - with new aerial photos looking to show just how bad the storm's impact really was.

Aerial photos compiled by CNN put the spotlight on a community just north of Lincoln, Nebraska.

A video of the comparison was posted on Reddit, sliding across the image to show the stark difference of what the area looked like both before and after the tornado.

The first image shows a classic neighborhood, with pristine rows of houses lining the street. The second is a completely different story, with pretty much all of the houses razed to the ground.

While most houses have been completely destroyed, a few in the corner seem to have been left almost entirely alone - which is a powerful reminder of how arbitrary the forces of nature can be.

The Reddit post drew compassionate responses from commenters.

One said: "As someone who is currently working hard towards owning a home and making a better life for my family, this is heartbreaking. Imagine busting ur ass for years and years to finally buy a home to raise your kids in a beautiful neighborhood, and in moments, it's all taken from you. My heart goes out to everyone this has happened to."

Another set of photos posted to CNN showed a huge aircraft hanger at Omaha's Eppley Airfield with its roof almost completely ripped off and away, exposing the many small planes that had been parked inside. Many of these had visibly been blown around and even flipped over, showing just how powerful the storm was.

Jason Persoff Stormdoctor / Getty

All the images make it incredibly clear just how dangerous it would be for anyone to remain in the tornados' path, since entire buildings have been flattened.

It underlines the importance of both storm shelters and the public warning systems that tell people to make their way to them.

Of course, in an era of climate crisis, the sad fact is that these extreme weather events are becoming more common, not less - and they're often starting to happen earlier and last longer than the typical season would expect.

These tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the USA's midsection, killing four people in Oklahoma, injuring hundreds and leaving thousands without power. Authorities also said one person died in Iowa because of the storms.