At least one dead after massive tornadoes rip through rural Iowa – toppling homes and shredding wind turbines as 25 million people are put under severe warnings

At least one person lost their life after multiple tornadoes ripped through Iowa, causing widespread destruction across the state.

Homes were leveled and flash flooding ravaged rural Iowa and several surrounding towns Tuesday evening, injuring at least a dozen people and leaving tens of thousands without power.

Meteorologists warned that the carnage could continue across the Midwest as a storm system develops overnight, putting millions of people under severe weather warnings stretching from Missouri to Wisconsin.

The tornado-related death occurred in Adams County, Iowa, about 90 miles southwest of Des Moines, the county medical examiner said. CNN.

Iowa resident June Handsaker comforts her brother Larry after a tornado destroyed his home in Nevada, Iowa, on Tuesday afternoon

Images showed widespread damage hours after the tornadoes ripped through rural Iowa, ripping entire trees from their roots.

The small town of Greenfield, about 40 miles from the death in Adams County, was among the hardest hit, and a tornado that developed around 5 p.m. leveled hundreds of homes and left several people injured, he said. Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. said Alex Dinkla.

Images shared with Facebook by a resident of Greenfield he saw entire houses reduced to rubble and turned into scattered rubble, while brick walls were also flattened by the force of the torpedo.

Huge wind turbines were also destroyed by the gusts, with at least three turbines destroyed in Adams County, and MidAmerican Energy Company said it owned several more that were destroyed in Adair County.

Greenfield has imposed a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. as the aftermath is investigated, but officials said the true extent of the destruction may not be known until dawn.

Heavy cleanup crews have been spotted across the state, with unaffected counties including Guthrie and Madison reportedly called in to help clean up the damage in Greenfield.

Initial reports also indicate that multiple tornadoes have been reported in Montgomery County, and meteorologists warned that the storm system in the Midwest could generate more tornadoes of catastrophic strength.

In total, more than 25 million people were under Level 3 severe thunderstorm warnings in the Midwest on Tuesday evening.

More than 25 million people in the Midwest are under severe weather warnings

Trees were shredded to their roots by the force of the tornadoes, and meteorologists predicted more could be generated that could exceed speeds of 110 mph.

Heavy cleanup crews have been spotted across the state, with unaffected counties including Guthrie and Madison reportedly called in to help clean up the damage in Greenfield (photo)

Several areas were hit by flash flooding after the storm system swept through the Midwest

While much of the early damage was limited to rural Iowa, officials warned that several major cities and population centers could be caught in the storm’s path.

Chicago and Milwaukee are both at risk of being hit by destructive storms, and Des Moines International Airport closed its runways in anticipation of tornadoes that could touch down late Tuesday.

Several regions have also experienced flash flooding due to the storms, with heavy rain warnings issued in the Midwest.

Until Tuesday evening, the Storm Prediction Center launched a rare tornado watch in a “potentially hazardous situation” spanning Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

The tornado watch is only used when experts believe there is a high chance of multiple, long-lived tornadoes registering at EF2 or stronger, which means speeds of at least 110 mph.

Power lines were downed across the state (pictured in Nevada, Iowa), leaving tens of thousands of people without power

In total, more than 25 million people were under Level 3 severe thunderstorm warnings in the Midwest on Tuesday evening.

Shocking images from Greenfield showed widespread damage, and reports indicate the city also reported several injuries

Residents reported widespread damage to homes and businesses, although much of the early destruction affected rural areas of Iowa

Greenfield residents described witnessing the destruction in their city, as Valerie Warrior recounted KCCI she was our bike when the storm descended.

“There are houses everywhere,” Warrior said, noting that she ran to her basement to wait out the tornado before coming out to find the city covered in rubble.

“Devastating,” she added.

Beautiful images of Storm Chaser Nahel Belgherze focused on the damage on a Greenfield street, as a sleepy suburb was reduced to rubble within hours.

Resident Donnell Griffith said the small town of about 2,000 will recover from the storms despite the carnage.

“We are a small community, we are a tough community…we will rebuild this community together,” she said.

‘We are small, but we are mighty.’