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CatastropheUnited States of America

US: Iowa tornado leaves trail of wreckage and death

May 22, 2024

The tornado "devastated a good portion of," of the small town of Greenfield, killing multiple people and leaving at least a dozen injured,

https://p.dw.com/p/4g7rM
Tornado in Greenfield, Iowa
There were multiple confirmed deathsImage: Hannah Fingerhut/AP/dpa/picture alliance

The Iowa State Patrol has confirmed multiple deaths from a tornado and at least a dozen injuries in storms Tuesday.

"Sadly, we can confirm that there have been fatalities with this tornado, also injuries have been sustained by residents here in the Greenfield area," Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said.

People examine damage after a tornado moved through Greenfield, Iowa,
Homes have been destroyed and debris strewn across the town of GreenfieldImage: Hannah Fingerhut/AP Photo/picture alliance

Disaster emergency proclamation 

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a disaster emergency proclamation for 15 counties in response to the extreme weather. This includes Adair County, which covers Greenfield.

The town is home to around 2,000 people and lies 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines.

Its hospital was one of the buildings that sustained the worst damage, and injured people had to be taken to facilities elsewhere. 

Reynolds said she would visit the town on Wednesday morning.

"While it's too soon to know the storm's full impact, answers will come in the hours and days ahead," Reynolds said 

Multiple tornadoes were reported throughout the state, and one also apparently took down several 250-foot (76-meter) wind turbines in southwest Iowa. Some of the turbines caught fire, sending plumes of smoke into the air

In January this year, a storm grounded flights and left hundreds of thousands without power, while also hampering last-minute events ahead of a key GOP primary in Iowa.

ss/jsi (AP, Reuters)