A deadly tornado ripped through the small town of Greenfield, Iowa, as tornadoes in the area left around five people dead and nearly 40 people injured, while homes were destroyed and thousands were left without power.
The tornado that tore through the city on Tuesday was rated at least EF-3 by the National Weather Service and was so destructive that it took authorities more than a day to account for area residents.
The number of people injured is believed to be likely higher, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said.
The fifth person died about 25 miles from Greenfield when their car went off the road in a tornado, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Monica Zamarrón, 46, died in that crash Tuesday afternoon when her car flew off the road, authorities said. TO GoFundMe page It has been created for the Zamarrón family.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the other victims.
People hug in front of their home that was destroyed by a tornado that leveled homes in Greenfield, Iowa.
Monica Zamarrón, 46, died in that crash Tuesday afternoon when her car flew off the road, authorities said.
The severe weather turned south on Wednesday. In Texas, authorities issued an emergency declaration in Temple, a city of more than 90,000 people north of Austin, after powerful storms hit the area.
Thousands of residents were left without power, schools canceled classes Thursday and nearby Fort Cavazos reported significant debris blocking traffic at the Army installation.
In Iowa, the Greenfield tornado destroyed homes, splintered trees and wrecked cars in the city of 2,000 people about 55 miles southwest of Des Moines. The tornado also destroyed huge power-producing wind turbines several miles outside the city.
Greenfield resident Kimberly Ergish and her husband dug through the debris field that used to be their home Wednesday, searching for family photos and other salvageable items.
There wasn’t much left, he acknowledged. The reality that her home was destroyed in seconds has not dawned on her, she said.
“If it weren’t for all the bumps and bruises and bone pain, I would think this didn’t happen,” Ergish said.
The deadly tornado spawned during a historic tornado season in the U.S., at a time when climate change is increasing the severity of storms around the world. April had the second highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.
As of Tuesday, 859 tornadoes had been confirmed this year, 27% more than the United States sees on average, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Iowa has recorded the most so far, with 81 confirmed tornadoes.
Authorities were still assessing the full extent of property damage in Greenfield, a community of 2,000 people about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines, the state capital.
The casualty count was announced by the Iowa Department of Public Safety at the end of a day in which rescue teams scoured debris fields left by the deadly tornado looking for people who might be trapped in the rubble.
An aerial view shows the devastation left in Greenfield.
This satellite photo taken by a BlackSky Technology satellite shows the trail of destruction left by the tornado
On Tuesday alone, the National Weather Service said it received 23 reports of tornadoes, 21 of them in Iowa.
Tuesday’s storms also hit parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, leaving tens of thousands of customers in the two states without power.
The National Weather Service said initial surveys indicated at least one EF-3 tornado in Greenfield, but further assessment of damage could lead to a stronger rating.
The tornado appeared to have been on the ground for more than 40 miles (64 kilometers), AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.
A satellite photo taken by BlackSky Technology shows where the tornado cut a nearly straight path of destruction through the city, just south of Greenfield’s central plaza.
‘Debris rose thousands of feet into the air and ended up falling to the ground several counties away from Greenfield. “That’s evidence of how intense and deadly this tornado was,” Porter said.
People as far as 100 miles from Greenfield posted photos on Facebook of torn family photos, yearbook pages and other items that were lifted into the sky by the tornado.
About 90 miles away, in Ames, Iowa, Nicole Banner found a yellowed page that said “This book is the property of the Greenfield Community School District” taped to her garage door like a Post-it note after the storm passed.
“We just couldn’t believe it had traveled so far,” he said.
Of the 35 people reported as injured by the tornado, at least 14 were taken to hospitals outside the county for medical treatment, officials said, adding that the actual number of injured people is likely higher.
Images from Greenfield showed a wide swath of total destruction, with houses reduced to splinters, trees uprooted, vehicles crushed and debris scattered everywhere.
The tornado that touched down in Greenfield was among a swarm of tornadoes reported in southwest Iowa Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Landyn Ergish, 12, of Greenfield, Iowa, looks into the basement bathroom where she hid with her three siblings and mother while a tornado destroyed their home.
Phillip Ergish of Greenfield, Iowa, holds his dog Kobe as he surveys the remains of his home.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds speaks with a worker at a command station after touring tornado damage.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the FEMA administrator would be in Iowa on Thursday and that the White House was in contact with state and local officials.
He said they were “praying for those who tragically lost their lives” and wished the injured a “speedy recovery.”
Greenfield’s 25-bed hospital was among the damaged buildings, and at least a dozen injured people had to be transferred to facilities elsewhere.
Hospital officials said in a Facebook post Wednesday that the hospital will remain closed and that full repairs could take weeks or months.
An urgent care clinic has been set up at an elementary school and primary care services will begin there on Thursday, according to the post.
Residential streets that on Monday were lined with ancient trees and carefully decorated ranch-style homes were a chaotic jumble of splintered and shattered remains on Wednesday.
Many of the basements of the homes where residents were sheltering were exposed and front yards were filled with belongings, from furniture to children’s toys and Christmas decorations.
Roseann Freeland waited until the last minute to run with her husband to a cement room in their basement. Seconds later, her husband opened the door “and you could see daylight,” Freeland said. ‘I just lost it. I just completely lost it.’