Storms causing tornadoes resulted in fatalities in Iowa and pose a threat to urban areas from Texas to New York.
In the tiny town of Greenfield, Iowa, approximately 50 miles southwest of Des Moines, numerous fatalities and some injuries have been recorded after a tornado devastated the area on Tuesday evening, shares Sergeant Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Patrol with CNN. No further information about the casualties was given.
"There is essentially nothing left," Clel Baudler, a former Iowa state representative living half a mile away from Greenfield, informed CNN on Tuesday. Video captured by local news outlet KCCI illustrates demolished houses and other structures, in addition to the town being covered in rubble, overturned automobiles, and uprooted trees.
A total of at least 17 tornadoes were recorded in Iowa on Tuesday as part of a series of storms wreaking havoc across the US this week, causing widespread power outages, structural damage, and flooding.
As of Tuesday night, around 200,000 homes and businesses in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois had lost power due to the outages, according to PowerOutage.us. It's predicted there will be even more outages as storms on Wednesday hit the East.
The severe thunderstorm threat on Wednesday weakens somewhat but is still expected to unleash strong winds, hail, and possibly a few tornadoes over a 1,500-mile-long area from Texas to western New York.
"Severe thunderstorms with the potential for damaging gusts and hail will occur in central Texas through the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes area on Wednesday. The greatest risk of damaging hail and wind is in north Texas, across the Ozarks," predicted the Storm Prediction Center.
Multiple tornadoes could occur from Texas to Kentucky, with hail and powerful winds potentially appearing anywhere along the storms' path.
About 11 million individuals are currently under an enhanced risk, Level 3 out of 5, for thunderstorms across north Texas, southern Oklahoma, southern Missouri, and most of Arkansas, says the Storm Prediction Center. This area includes significant cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington.
Although under a less severe risk on Wednesday, Nashville, St. Louis, Memphis, Cleveland, Tulsa, and Columbus should be prepared for storms.
Iowa's Governor Kim Reynolds issued a state of emergency proclamation on Tuesday for 15 counties as wild storms triggered uncommon levels of tornado warnings across portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Western Iowa endured the bulk of the calamitous effects from the storms. Roaring winds and possible tornadoes destroyed structures in Greenfield, toppled a monstrous wind turbine in Prescott, and turned residents' homes into mountains of shattered debris.
Besides the reported fatalities in Greenfield, at least one other death was reported in nearby Adams County, said local officials. Over two dozen residences were damaged or razed in Montgomery County, including some "critical public facilities,” according to emergency management authorities. No injuries have surfaced yet, but damage evaluations are still ongoing.
Valerie Warrior, a Greenfield resident, prayed to God to safeguard her house and her family before she found shelter in her basement as the storm hit.
"I was in the furnace room, and then I heard it like a train," she shares with KCCI, describing insulation being blown off basement windows. "I heard it and I knew it was hitting."
Warrior points out the scale of devastation is "heart-breaking" to witness, yet she's certain community members will band together and aid each other.
"They'll get through it," she said, before attempting to smile. "You already see people helping each other, working together. And that's what they do – people come together when a tragedy happens. People join together to support and encourage each other."
Emotionally overwhelmed, Warrior gazed out upon the wreckage-strewn garden and attempted to grin.
"We'll rebuild, we'll rebuild."
CNN's Jessica Jordan, Sara Smart, and Amy Simonson contributed to this report.
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In the aftermath of the tornado, cleanup efforts are expected to be extensive in Greenfield, Iowa, which is now covered in rubble and damaged structures. The threat of further severe weather continues, with meteorologists predicting strong winds, hail, and potential tornadoes from Texas to New York on Wednesday.
Source: edition.cnn.com
