GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Muddy, pulverized debris made clear the destructive power of a tornado that destroyed more than 100 homes over several blocks in just a minute in the small Iowa town of Greenfield.
Across the mile-long disaster zone on Thursday, the deafening din of heavy machinery shoveling shattered homes, destroyed vehicles and mangled trees echoed throughout the area. But on both sides of the road, picturesque homes and lawns appeared unscathed, making it hard to believe that a tornado with maximum wind speeds of 175 to 185 mph (109 to 115 kph) struck a community of 2,000 people, killing four and injuring at least 35.
Remains of a home damaged by a tornado are seen in Greenfield, Iowa, Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Nibergal)
More than 202 homes Destroyed by a series of tornadoes Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spoke at a press conference Thursday about the heavy rains that pounded the state on Tuesday, most of which occurred in and around the city of Greenfield. This number does not include businesses and other buildings that were destroyed or damaged, including the 25-bed hospital in Greenfield.
The havoc caused by the tornado is evident on the faces of people who are still coming to terms with how quickly their homes and lives were destroyed.
Among those who died were Dean and Pam Wiggins, said grandson Tom Wiggins.
Tom Wiggins spent Thursday trying to find mementos belonging to his grandparents whose home was destroyed by the tornado and little remains except for the foundation. “These were items that were very important to not only our family but the whole town,” Wiggins said.
A few steps away, Bill Yount, 64, was also cleaning.
“It looks like someone took a bomb,” Yount said, pointing to the ground, which was littered with lumber, rubble, defoliated trees, heavy machinery and cleanup equipment.
Local residents embrace each other in front of their homes damaged by a tornado, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Greenfield, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Nibergal)
Surveying the damage was Edith Shaker, 80, who was briefly trapped in her collapsed home with her daughter before neighbors rescued them and the couple took refuge in a concrete shower in the basement, with pillows over their heads to protect them from falling debris.
“It was probably over within 30 seconds,” she said, adding that her home of 47 years was destroyed.
Schacher’s neighbor, Joan Mitchell, was in the home she’d lived in for 10 years with her 57-year-old son when the tornado struck.
She had ignored a tornado warning and was thrown to the floor and two recliners flew onto her.
“I kept praying, and then I started screaming, ‘Help! Help! Help!'” Mitchell recalled. Though bruised, she and her son survived.
The governor praised the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response Thursday as he called for disaster declarations for several counties. After assessing the damage on Tuesday, the National Weather Service determined that three separate, powerful tornadoes carved a combined path of 130 miles (209.21 kilometers) across Iowa, according to Donna Dubberke, meteorologist in charge in Des Moines.
Colton Newberry, 24, was working in Des Moines, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) from his Greenfield home with his wife and 10-month-old daughter, when the tornado struck.
He rushed back home to find his house “a hole in the ground,” he said. His wife hadn’t heard the sirens. Newberry said his cousin rushed in to help his wife and baby, and they rode out the tornado in his cousin’s basement. High winds blew entire houses away, Newberry said. “Just the foundations of almost every house on the block were left standing.”
More severe weather was moving across the Midwest. The Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center indicated an elevated risk of severe storms for much of Nebraska and western Iowa from late Thursday night into Friday morning, including parts of Iowa where tornadoes struck and parts of Nebraska where hurricane-force winds, large hail and heavy rain caused road and basement flooding.
Andrew Ansorge, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, warned that this latest wave of severe weather, including possible tornadoes, would hit Iowa “while people are sleeping.”
“The damage is already there and any further wind damage to properties is going to be caused,” Ansorge said. “It’s a win-win situation all around.”
As the severe weather moves south, Iowa residents are hopeful of recovery from the deadly storm. Jennifer King of the Associated Press reports.
A tornado swirled in southwestern Oklahoma for nearly an hour Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Jennifer Thompson said several homes were reported damaged, but no injuries were reported.
Thompson said the weather service also received reports of very large hail the size of baseballs, as well as 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain that fell along the storm’s path over about three hours, causing flash flooding.
The weather service will need to investigate to determine the tornado’s strength and how far it was on the ground, she said.
More severe weather could hit storm-hit areas of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas on Saturday and Sunday. The powerful storm pounded the city of Temple, population more than 90,000, which declared a state of emergency. Thousands lost power, classes were canceled Thursday and debris was reported blocking traffic at the nearby Army base at Fort Cavazos.
The Greenfield tornado was one of the most powerful this year. The National Weather Service on Thursday rated it an EF4, the second-strongest rating for tornado strength.
The deadliest tornado this year was Killed three people March 14, Logan County, Ohio Greenfield tornado sets new deadly record Destroying houses, Huge wind turbine collapses Outside town.
The damage was so extensive that it took authorities more than a day to count the safety of residents in the area, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety said the number of injured may be higher. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims in Greenfield.
A fifth person was killed Tuesday when a tornado blew her car off the road about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Greenfield, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Monica Zamaron, 46, died in the accident Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Governor Reynolds requested an immediate presidential disaster declaration for hard-hit Iowa counties, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who was also present at the press conference in Greenfield, said the agency would process the request as quickly as possible and provide resources to those who have lost their homes, including funding for temporary housing.
This year has been a historically busy tornado season in the United States. Climate Change Storms are becoming more intense around the world. Second most frequent tornado outbreaks For the record.
As of Tuesday, 859 tornadoes had been confirmed this year, 27% more than the average number seen in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Iowa had the most confirmed tornadoes on record, with 81.
___
Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, and Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri, contributed.
