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By Anna Commander
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A tornado battered Iowa on Tuesday evening, leaving multiple people dead and flattening buildings across a small city.
Iowa police confirmed that a number of people had died in the city of Greenfield, nearly 60 miles southwest of Des Moines.
Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla said on Tuesday night: "Sadly, we can confirm that there have been fatalities. We're still counting at this time." He said that a "mandatory curfew" was in effect for the area from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.
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Dinkla added that at least 12 people had been treated in the hospital for their injuries but said that the city's Adair County Memorial Hospital had also been damaged in the tornado.
"Patients needing further treatment for injuries were transferred to nearby medical centers," he said.
The raging storms pummeled Iowa on Tuesday afternoon, with 68 mph wind gusts reported at Waterloo Airport at 6:01 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Two tornado warnings were also issued for the Des Moines metro area around 4:45 p.m., the NWS said. Both warnings had "observed tornadoes."
Videos showing the storm's aftermath revealed devastating scenes around Greenfield. Meteorologist Andrew Pritchard said on X, formerly Twitter: "Apocalyptic scenes between Carbon and Greenfield, Iowa. Multiple wind turbines completely shredded, one on fire, power pole stumps left behind with entire poles gone. Strong strong tornado."
Florida Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli also called the tornado "devastating," adding: "I'd say it's probably the strongest #Tornado of the season so far."
WHO13 anchor Katie Kaplan shared a video showing the aftermath of the storm, revealing damaged cars, ripped-apart buildings, and stripped-bare trees.
Meteorologist Jason Parkin also noted the destruction, writing on X: "Griff's Garage in Greenfield. Cinder block building gone. Auto lift with bolt in concrete pulled out. #iawx." In a separate video, Parkin described the destruction as "tragic."
WHO13's Keith Murphy wrote on X: "Clean-up has begun in Greenfield. @AndyFales on the scene and says it's just devastating."
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement following the storm, saying: "Kevin's [the Iowa first gentleman's] and my prayers are with all the communities and families impacted by today's severe weather, and especially those who tragically lost their lives in the Greenfield area. I am committed to providing the full resources of the state to support the response and recovery effort.
"State and local officials are on the ground, assessing the situation and setting up temporary shelters for those whose homes were damaged or destroyed. First responders and health care providers are onsite caring for the injured. Utility crews are working to restore service to thousands without power, and the State Emergency Operations Center continues to coordinate missions to support local responders. While it's too soon to know the storm's full impact, answers will come in the hours and days ahead.
"It was just a few weeks ago that tornadoes hit several other Iowa communities, and it's hard to believe that it's happened again. Iowans are strong and resilient, and we will get through this together."
Update 05/22/24, 9:03 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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