GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) – A tornado ripped through a small Iowa town, leaving widespread destruction, crumpled cars and howling winds twisting and toppling wind turbines, killing several people.
rear The devastation in Greenfield, population 2,000.on Tuesday, the storm moved eastward and hit parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers in both states.
Greenfield’s hospital was among the buildings damaged in the town, and at least a dozen injured people had to be taken to other facilities, Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Greenfield said. . Alex Dinkler.
“Unfortunately, I can confirm that there have been deaths,” Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night, without giving a number. “At this time, we are still counting.”
He said he believes he has located all of the town’s residents, but will continue searching for anyone missing. The Adair County Health Department said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that a triage center has been set up at Greenfield High School and anyone needing medical attention should go there.
The tornado destroyed much of Greenfield, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines, and multiple tornadoes, large hail and heavy rain were reported in several states later that day. The National Weather Service said it had received reports of 23 tornadoes on Tuesday, the majority in Iowa, with one each in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Authorities have imposed a curfew in the town, with residents not allowed to enter Greenfield until Wednesday morning. He also ordered members of the press to leave the town on Tuesday night.
In the storm’s aftermath, piles of fallen wood, branches, car parts and other debris piled up where the house had been. Even the trees that were still standing had fallen branches and leaves. Residents helped each other retrieve furniture and other belongings that were scattered in all directions.
Rogue Paxton said he took shelter in his basement as the storm passed. He told WOI-TV he thought his home was lost, but his family was lucky.
“But others don’t, like my brother Cody, his house was just wiped clean,” Paxton said. “And you see all the people here helping each other. … Everything’s going to be okay because we have each other, but it’s going to be really, really tough. It’s a mess.”
A tornado appears to have destroyed several 76-meter (250-foot) high wind turbines in southwestern Iowa. Part of the turbine caught fire, sending smoke into the air. Wind farms are built to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes, and other powerful winds.
On its website, Greenfield advertises itself as a “gentle wave as you walk” type of location, with tree-lined streets before a storm, and a “perfect place to grow.”
Mary Long, owner of Long’s Market in downtown Greenfield, said her business, located in the area’s historic town square, weathered the storm and largely escaped damage. Long said there appears to be widespread damage on the east and south sides of town.
“I heard the proverbial freight train roar, and then it was over in a flash,” she said.
Camille Blair said the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce office where she works closed around 2 p.m. before the storm.
“From my house, I could see the tornado heading straight down the road,” she said of the tornado.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she plans to visit Greenfield Wednesday morning.
“It was just a few weeks ago that tornadoes struck several other communities in Iowa, and it’s hard to believe it’s happened again,” she said in a statement. “Iowans are strong and resilient, and we will get through this together.”
Iowa was bracing for severe weather after the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said much of the state was likely to experience severe thunderstorms with the potential for strong tornadoes. Storm and tornado warnings were issued for Wisconsin through Tuesday evening and into the night.
Early in the day, residents on Omaha, Nebraska’s west side woke up to blaring sirens and widespread power outages as heavy rain, high winds and large hail pounded the area. The flood flooded the basement and submerged the car. TV station KETV Firefighters were shown rescuing people from the vehicle.
In Illinois, authorities closed two interstate highways due to poor visibility due to a dust storm.
The storm continued Days of abnormal weather It destroyed much of the central part of the country. High winds, large hail and tornadoes tore through parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging a home and injuring two people in Oklahoma.
Another storm hit Colorado and western Nebraska Monday night, damaging cities. Yuma, Coloradohailstones the size of baseballs and golf balls turned streets into rivers of water and ice.
In Texas, deadly storm It struck the Houston area last week, killing at least eight people. Those storms on Thursday knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people for days, leaving many people in the dark and without air conditioning. hot and humid weatherHurricane-force winds reduced stores and other buildings in downtown high-rises to rubble and shattered glass.
The weather system is expected to turn south on Wednesday, bringing more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri, said Bob Oravec, the weather service’s chief forecaster.
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McFetridge reported from Des Moines and Beck reported from Omaha. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Josh Funk in Omaha, Colleen Slevin in Denver and Juan Lozano in Houston contributed.
