"Tornado in Iowa Claims 'Multiple' Lives, Leaves Small Town in Ruins"

Tornado in Iowa

 A fierce tornado tore through a small Iowa town on Tuesday, resulting in multiple casualties and leaving several others injured, according to authorities.

Footage from Greenfield depicts a scene of devastation, with homes reduced to rubble, debris strewn across the area, and numerous wind turbines toppled.

Speaking at an evening press briefing in Greenfield, Sgt. Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Patrol described the extent of the damage: "This tornado has wreaked havoc on a significant portion of this town." While Dinkla did not disclose a specific death toll, he indicated that official figures might not be available until Wednesday.

Approximately a dozen individuals in Greenfield, a community of around 2,000 residents, sustained injuries during the tornado, Dinkla reported. Due to storm damage to the local hospital, these individuals had to be transported to medical facilities in nearby towns.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Greenfield resident Valerie Warrior expressed her fears: "I've lived here all my life. I'm just praying that everyone was safe, that everybody's safe, and nobody got hurt." The destruction was evident in the background as Warrior spoke to CBS affiliate KCCI TV.

Further visuals revealed mangled vehicles and significant damage to a gas station in Greenfield, located in Adair County. Adams County, adjacent to Adair County, also experienced severe impacts from the storm, with at least one storm-related fatality reported, according to Lisa Brown, the county's medical examiner.

In response to the disaster, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds declared a "disaster emergency" for 15 counties, including Adair and Adams, facilitating the swift deployment of state resources for recovery efforts.

In Adams County, three towering wind turbines, each standing approximately 25 stories high, suffered extensive damage, with one catching fire, as per reports from KCCI. Additionally, several other turbines in Adair County sustained varying degrees of damage.

The National Weather Service had issued tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm advisories across much of Iowa, as well as parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, throughout Tuesday. Earlier in the day, a tornado had been confirmed over Rollingstone, Minnesota.