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A powerful tornado tore through Greenfield, Iowa, on Tuesday, leaving multiple people dead and at least a dozen injured, The Weather Channel reported. The small town, located about 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, was almost entirely devastated.
The Greenfield tornado was part of a larger storm system that unleashed multiple tornadoes, giant hail, and heavy rain across several states. Homes and businesses were reduced to rubble, trees were shredded, and cars were smashed. Residents were seen helping each other salvage belongings from the wreckage.
In southwest Iowa, a tornado took down many 250-foot wind turbines, some of which caught fire, sending plumes of smoke into the air.
Earlier on Tuesday, residents in Omaha, Nebraska, were awakened by weather sirens and power outages due to torrential rain, high winds, and large hail. Over five inches of rain fell in less than two hours, causing significant flooding. Basements were inundated, and cars were submerged.
On Monday night, another round of storms hit Colorado and western Nebraska. Yuma, Colorado, was blanketed with hail as big as baseballs and golf balls, turning streets into rivers of water and ice. Front-end loaders were needed to clear the half-foot deep hail on Tuesday.
In Oklahoma, a deadly tornado struck the small town of Barnsdall on Monday night, leaving one person dead, five injured, and dozens of homes damaged. This was part of a series of over a dozen tornadoes that tore through central US states, including Kansas, South Dakota, and Missouri, earlier in the week.
Last week, deadly storms struck the Houston area, killing at least seven people. Hurricane-force winds and severe weather caused widespread power outages, leaving many without air conditioning in sweltering conditions. Businesses and structures were reduced to debris, and glass from downtown skyscrapers shattered.
On Tuesday evening, tornadoes in Michigan caused significant damage in Portage. Thousands were left without power, and the area faced a deluge of hail and severe thunderstorm warnings. A tornado emergency was declared in Union City, with multiple trees and power lines downed across the state.
This recent devastation follows nearly two months of severe weather across the Midwest, including a mid-March cluster of tornadoes that affected five states. Those storms resulted in three deaths and over 100 injuries. The persistent severe weather highlights the ongoing vulnerability of these regions to natural disasters, The Weather Channel reported.
