Tornado leaves multiple fatalities and widespread damage in its wake in Iowa
Multiple people were killed by a tornado in Iowa on Tuesday, as severe storms threaten a large portion of the US later in the week.
Sgt Alex Dinkla of Iowa state police confirmed the multiple fatalities in Greenfield, Iowa, during a briefing about the deadly storm, NBC News reported.
Dinkla did not say how many people were deceased. “We’re still counting at this time.”
At least 12 people were transported to area hospitals with storm-related injuries. “This tornado has devastated a good portion of this town and community,” Dinkla said.
The deadly tornado caused widespread damage in Greenfield, a town with about 2,000 people.
Photos posted to social media show several homes completely destroyed by the tornado, as neighbors surveyed the damage on Wednesday morning.
Governor Kim Reynolds authorized a disaster declaration for 15 counties in Iowa amid the inclement weather. Reynolds has said she will visit Greenfield on Wednesday morning.
“Kevin’s and my prayers are with all the communities and families impacted by today’s severe weather, and especially those who tragically lost their lives in the Greenfield area,” Reynolds said in a statement, NBC reported. Strong winds from tornadoes also toppled trees and power lines in other parts of Iowa, the Associated Press reported. Cars were also crushed and strewn amid debris.
Multiple 250ft wind turbines were downed by a tornado. Several reportedly caught fire.
The National Weather Service said that 20 tornadoes were reported in Iowa, as well as one in Wisconsin.
The severe weather is expected to travel east, affecting a 1,500-mile swath of the US from Vermont through southern Texas, CNN reported.
Intense thunderstorms have already been forecasted in to the Texas hill country region, which includes the Austin metro area, KXAN reported.
The National Weather Service Fort Worth also announced that a flood watch was in effect for large parts of north and central Texas until Thursday evening.
“Expect rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches w/ localized 4 to 5 inch amounts possible,” the agency posted to X.
Much of Texas is also experiencing extreme heat, as temperatures swell above 100F (38C) in some cities. But some in the state are experiencing power outages. More than 70,000 customers were without power as of Wednesday morning.
The latest extreme weather comes as eight people in Houston died after a deadly storm over the weekend.
John Whitmire, Houston’s mayor, said that at least two of the deaths were caused by toppled trees. Another death was due to high winds pushing a crane into a cement truck.