Central Iowa woke up to devastation on Wednesday morning following what police described as a “devastating” tornado that claimed four lives and caused extensive damage to rural communities.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the tornado struck Greenfield, a town of around 2,000 people located 40 miles southwest of Des Moines, on Tuesday, resulting in four fatalities and injuring 35 others.
The names of the deceased have not been made public yet, and authorities suspect the actual number of injuries could be higher, as the reported figures only account for those treated at designated care sites.
In addition to the tornado-related fatalities, another person died in a weather-related car accident in nearby Adams County on Tuesday, identified as Monica Zamarron, 46.
Governor Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency in 17 counties on Wednesday night, following an earlier declaration for 15 counties.
The tornado warnings stretched across Iowa, with additional warnings in Wisconsin and Minnesota, contributing to an already active tornado season.
Sgt. Alex Dinkla mentioned in a news conference that at least 12 people were hospitalized, despite the damage sustained by the town’s Adair County Memorial Hospital, which necessitated transporting victims to other facilities.
Governor Reynolds refrained from disclosing exact casualty figures at a news conference, emphasizing the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Joan Newell, a resident of Greenfield, described the tornado’s sound as resembling a “train” and recounted being trapped in her house for about 45 minutes before being rescued. She noted that while she could hear people outside, they were unaware of her presence until her Apple Watch alerted authorities to her situation.
Having lived in the area for decades and experienced previous tornadoes, Newell described this event as “10 times worse” than any she had encountered before.