Severe weather destroyed much of Greenfield, where officials were continuing search and rescue work. At least 35 people were injured.
Southwestern Iowa was reeling Wednesday after a destructive wave of storms, including a tornado, swept across the state the day before, leaving five people dead and at least 35 injured, the authorities said.
The tornado devastated the city of Greenfield, where survey teams estimated it had wind gusts of up to 165 miles an hour, powerful enough to cause major damage to buildings.
“It is just gut-wrenching,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a news conference on Wednesday morning in Greenfield, where large swaths of the town were destroyed by the tornado. “It is just horrific; it is hard to describe.”
Here’s what to know:
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Four people died and at least 35 others were injured by a tornado in the area of Greenfield, about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines, the Iowa State Patrol said.
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There were multiple reports of tornadoes in southwestern Iowa, the National Weather Service said.
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Governor Reynolds issued an emergency disaster proclamation in 32 counties. In Adams County, one woman driving a car died after being caught in a storm, according to the county medical examiner’s office.
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The Weather Service warned of “unsettled and changeable weather” from the West Coast to the Great Plains in the next few days. On Wednesday evening, forecasts were not as worrisome as they had been on Tuesday. A tornado watch was in place in central and northeastern Texas until 8 p.m. Central Time, but the risk was considered much lower. Hail and high winds were possible there and in parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Some stormy weather could stretch as far north as New York.
The storm devastated Greenfield, a city of about 2,000 people, where video footage showed destroyed homes, mangled cars, and roads covered with debris after a reported tornado swept through the town in the afternoon. The Adair County Health System hospital in the city sustained tornado damage, and patients were transferred to other nearby hospitals, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
Tornado reports in the Midwest
Locations of tornado sightings or damage reported by trained spotters.
