Iowans are left devastated as a swarm of tornadoes destroys tiny town leaving several dead: ‘There is nothing left’
Iowans have been left devastated after a swarm of tornadoes destroyed a small town Tuesday and left several dead.
Hours after a tornado touched down in Greenfield, about 60 miles from Des Moines, aerial footage showed tornadoes tearing through the city as it leveled homes and shredded trees down to their stumps.
Wendi Rae, a reporter from Greenfield, posted an emotional video and gruesome photos of the aftermath that has taken over her hometown.
“This is the damage along Highway 25 in Greenfield. There are houses completely gone, so it’s really devastating,” Rae said.
‘Everyone is currently out checking on each other. This city is full of a lot of good-hearted people, so send us your prayers as there is a lot of destruction here right now.”
Aerial footage showed where tornadoes tore through the city Tuesday as homes were leveled and trees were shredded down to their stumps
Wendi Rae, a reporter from Greenfield, posted an emotional video and gruesome photos of the aftermath that has taken over her hometown
Five people died during the deadly storm front, including four in Greenfield and one in Corning.
A woman in Corning, about 90 miles southwest of Des Moines, died when she was thrown from a vehicle during the brutal storm.
The National Weather Service reported that 23 tornadoes occurred on Tuesday, the majority of which touched down in Iowa, while one struck Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Rae’s video showed the devastation in the 2.78 square kilometer city of just over 2,000 residents.
She explained that her family’s home is “relatively OK,” but others in the area weren’t so lucky.
As she walked along the highway, residents were seen trying to start the massive cleanup process.
Houses were replaced by piles of wood, trees were cut in half, and furniture was strewn across the neighborhood.
Rae also posted photos of the disastrous aftermath, which showed a red car covered in dust and dirt, turned onto its hood, while a seat cushion dangled from a nearby tree.
Another image showed the inside of a house with worn walls, untidy furniture and wood and branches breaking through the window.
One photo showed an American flag hanging askew from a wooden pole as piles of rubble lay around it.
“Please pray for my hometown! The damage is absolutely devastating. There are no words,” Rae captioned the post.
Rae posted an image of a red car lying on its hood with its seat cushions dangling from a nearby tree
Entire neighborhoods were leveled by several deadly tornadoes that gripped the region as Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds placed 15 counties under emergency declarations. She is expected to visit the city on Wednesday morning.
“It’s only been a few weeks since tornadoes struck several other communities in Iowa, and it’s hard to believe this has happened again,” Reynolds said in a statement.
“Iowans are strong and resilient, and together we will get through this.”
Residents were seen starting to clear the rubble. It is unclear where the people who have lost their homes will be housed in the meantime.
The carnage is expected to continue in the Midwest as a storm system develops – with more than 25 million people currently under severe weather warnings, stretching from Missouri to Wisconsin.
Along with the Hawkeye State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois were also hit by tornadoes, heavy rains and power outages. BBC reported.
Overhead images showed widespread damage hours after the tornadoes tore through rural Iowa, ripping entire trees from their roots.
Greenfield, about 40 miles from the death in Adams County, was among the hardest hit as a tornado that developed around 5 p.m. leveled hundreds of homes and left several people injured, according to Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. . said Alex Dinkla.
One image captured an American flag hanging diagonally from a wooden pole as piles of rubble lay around it
Rae shared an image from inside a house with worn walls, shoddy furniture and wood and branches breaking through the window
At a news conference, Dinkla estimated that more than a dozen people had been hospitalized, but could not give an exact number. He added that all known residents were present, but the wreckage was still being searched.
A local hospital was hit by the intense tornadoes, forcing staff and patients to evacuate looted buildings and set up field hospitals in nearby high schools.
Huge wind turbines were also destroyed by the gusts, destroying at least three turbines in Adams County. MidAmerican Energy Company said it still owned several that had been destroyed in Adair County.
While Adair County Memorial Hospital provided aid to injured residents, it also “sustained tornado damage,” officials said, forcing it to transfer patients to other nearby medical centers.
Greenfield has imposed a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. as the aftermath is investigated. However, officials said the true extent of the destruction would not become clear until Wednesday morning.
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 a Level 3 severe thunderstorm warning in the Midwest on Tuesday evening.
Homes and cars were damaged outside the Adair County Health System hospital in Greenfield
The remains of a tornado-damaged wind turbine hit the ground in a field near Prescott, Iowa, on Tuesday
Midwesterners are now preparing for yet another storm that is expected to roll through central Texas and into New York state this week.
The system is expected to produce hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, with severe weather threats in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Wind damage and hail, possibly the size of a golf ball or larger, are the main concerns, but meteorologists warn that some tornadoes are also expected.
Northern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, northern and central Arkansas, southern Missouri and western Tennessee are most likely to be hit by tornadoes.
Severe storms will hit the Midwest, western New York and Pennsylvania today, but the threat of severe weather will continue into tomorrow.
Forecasters are particularly concerned about regions in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, northwestern Louisiana, southwestern Missouri and southern Kansas.
June Handsaker comforts his brother Larry Handsaker after a tornado damages his home in Nevada, Iowa
A car is damaged by flying debris during the Greenfield tornadoes
Forecasters have warned that severe storms will hit central Texas and all the way to New York state this week. The threat of severe weather is greatest in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
The risk of high winds tomorrow is greatest from Wichita, Kansas to Oklahoma City, Dallas and Little Rock.
AccuWeather forecasters have predicted winds could reach speeds of 60 to 75 mph.
A corridor from the Arklatex to the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio river valleys will be hit with heavy rain today and tomorrow.
The area is expected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of rain over a 48-hour period, putting residents at risk of flash flooding.
Parts of the Midwest, as well as regions to the South and East, could also see scattered, severe thunderstorms beginning Friday and through the Memorial Day weekend.