Woman, 46, who died when her car blown off the road is among five dead after lethal tornadoes tore through Iowa destroying entire town as thousands are now left without power in Texas
A deadly tornado leveled the town of Greenfield, Iowa, while tornadoes in the area killed about five people and injured nearly 40 people, while destroying homes and leaving thousands without electricity.
The destroyer that tore through the city on Tuesday was rated at least an EF-3 by the National Weather Service and was so destructive that it took authorities more than a day to account for area residents.
The number of injuries is believed to be likely higher, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
The fifth person was killed about 25 miles from Greenfield when her car was blown off the road by a tornado, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Monica Zamarron, 46, died in that crash Tuesday afternoon when her car was blown off the road, officials said. a GoFundMe page was set up for Zamarron’s family.
Officials have not yet released the names of the other victims.
People hug each other in front of their home that was destroyed by a tornado that destroyed homes in Greenfield, Iowa
Monica Zamarron, 46, died in that crash Tuesday afternoon when her car was blown off the road, officials said
The severe weather turned south on Wednesday. In Texas, officials issued an emergency declaration in Temple, a city of more than 90,000 people north of Austin, after powerful storms moved through the area.
Thousands of residents lost power, schools canceled classes for Thursday and nearby Fort Cavazos reported heavy debris blocking traffic at the military installation.
In Iowa, the Greenfield tornado destroyed homes, splintered trees and crumpled cars in the town of 2,000 about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines. The twister also destroyed huge energy-producing wind turbines several kilometers outside the city.
Greenfield resident Kimberly Ergish and her husband dug through the rubble field that used to be their home Wednesday, looking for family photos and other salvageable items.
There wasn’t much left, she acknowledged. The reality that her home will be destroyed in seconds hasn’t really sunk in, she said.
“If there hadn’t been all those bumps and bruises and sore bones, I would think it wouldn’t have happened,” Ergish said.
The deadly tornado occurred during a historic tornado season in the US, at a time when climate change is increasing the severity of storms around the world. April had the second highest number of tornadoes in the country on record.
Through Tuesday, 859 tornadoes had been confirmed this year, 27% more than the U.S. sees on average, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Iowa has recorded the most so far, with 81 confirmed twisters.
Officials were still assessing the full extent of the property damage in Greenfield, a community of 2,000 people about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines, the state capital.
The number of casualties was announced late in the day by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, with rescue teams sifting through fields of debris left by the deadly tornado for people who may have been trapped in the wreckage.
An aerial photo shows the devastation left in Greenfield
This satellite photo, taken by a BlackSky Technology satellite, shows the trail of destruction left by the twister
On Tuesday alone, the National Weather Service said it received 23 tornado reports, 21 of which were in Iowa.
Tuesday’s storms also ravaged parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers in the two states.
The National Weather Service said initial surveys indicated at least an EF-3 tornado in Greenfield, but additional damage assessment could lead to a more powerful ranking.
The tornado appeared to be on the ground for more than 40 miles, said Jon Porter, AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist.
A satellite photo taken by BlackSky Technology shows where the twister cut a nearly straight path of destruction through the city, just south of Greenfield’s main square.
“The debris was thrown thousands of feet into the air and eventually fell to the ground several counties away from Greenfield. That is a testament to how intense and deadly this tornado was,” Porter said.
People from as far as 100 miles away from Greenfield posted photos on Facebook of torn family photos, yearbook pages and other items lifted into the air by the tornado.
About 90 miles away, in Ames, Iowa, Nicole Banner found a yellowing page that read, “This book is the property of the Greenfield Community School District,” stuck like a Post-it note to her garage door after the storm passed.
“We just couldn’t believe it had traveled that far,” she said.
Of the 35 people injured by the tornado, at least 14 were taken to out-of-county hospitals for medical treatment, officials said, adding that the actual number of injuries was most likely higher.
Images from Greenfield showed a wide swath of total destruction, with homes reduced to splinters, trees uprooted, vehicles crushed and debris strewn everywhere.
The tornado that touched down in Greenfield was part of a swarm of tornadoes reported in southwestern Iowa Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Landyn Ergish, 12, of Greenfield, Iowa, looks into the basement bathroom where he hid with his three siblings and mother when a tornado destroyed their home
Phillip Ergish of Greenfield, Iowa holds his dog Kobe as he looks at the remains of his home
Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa speaks with a worker at a command station after touring the tornado damage
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the FEMA administrator would be in Iowa on Thursday and that the White House had been in contact with state and local officials.
She said they were “praying for those who tragically lost their lives” and wished the injured a “speedy recovery.”
Among the damaged buildings was Greenfield’s 25-bed hospital, and at least a dozen injured people had to be taken to facilities elsewhere.
Hospital officials said in a Facebook post Wednesday that the hospital will remain closed and full repairs could take weeks or months.
An urgent care clinic was set up Thursday at an elementary school with primary care, the post said.
Residential streets that on Monday were lined with old trees and neatly decorated ranch-style homes were a chaotic jumble of splintered and broken remains on Wednesday.
Many of the basements of the homes where residents sheltered were exposed and the front yards were strewn with items from furniture to children’s toys and Christmas decorations.
Roseann Freeland waited until the last minute to rush with her husband to a concrete room in her basement. Seconds later, her husband opened the door “and you could just see daylight,” Freeland said. ‘I just lost it. I just completely lost it.’