At a Glance
- Many homes and critical infrastructure were destroyed or severely damaged by severe storms in the Midwest.
- Efforts are underway but it may be days before electricity is fully restored.
- Community members and partners are actively coordinating recovery efforts.
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Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in Iowa after tornadoes left a deadly path of destruction across parts of the state.
The town of Greenfield, Iowa, was especially hard hit Tuesday with much of the town of 2,000 destroyed. Greenfield is about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines.
Officials have said "multiple people'' are dead and at least a dozen injured, but there's been no word yet on final numbers. One person was confirmed dead near the town of Corning, about 30 miles southwest of Greenfield. The woman was killed when her vehicle was blown off the road.
Other parts of Iowa also saw damage, as well as portions of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Emergency response is ongoing and the communities affected have started their initial recovery efforts, but damage assessments and storm surveys could take several days at least.
Meanwhile, multiple rounds of severe weather are expected to continue through the Memorial Day weekend. Click here for the full forecast.
Here's what's happening now:
(4:13 p.m. ET) Repairs To Local Hospital Could Take Months
Adair County Health System's hospital in Greenfield, Iowa, could be under repairs for months after the storms there Tuesday.
"Despite damage to our hospital, our providers and nurses continued to care for and evacuate patients as well as support co-workers who had injured loved ones and home lost," reads a social media update from the hospital.
"Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones, homes, and businesses."
For now, an emergency site for people with immediate needs is set up at a nearby high school.
(3:41 p.m. ET) May Is The Most Active Month For Tornadoes
This week's round of severe weather is the latest in a series of deadly and destructive storms that have pummeled parts of the Plains, Midwest and other areas. That's no surprise.
May averaged 278 tornadoes annually over a 20-year-period ending in 2022, according to a recent report from weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce. That's more than any other month during that time period.
"It's not just the number of tornadoes, but also the intensity of them that makes May a dangerous month," Dolce wrote. "May, along with April, is in the heart of spring when violent tornadoes (EF4 to EF5 damage) are more likely than any time of year."
Click here to read more.
(2:26 p.m. ET) 'I Thought I Was Going To Die There'
Greenfield resident Luke Daughenbaugh was outside and trying to reach his son when the tornado hit.
“It put me on the ground and then I just curled up in like (a) fetal position. And pretty soon the garage walls were on top of me," Daughenbaugh told the Des Moines Register earlier today. "I was getting more pressure and pressure and pressure on me - I thought I was going to die there.”
When it was over, about 10 people ran to help dig him out of a pile of debris.
“There was some good neighbors. It was wild. I would never have imagined that would have happened," Daughenbaugh said.
“I was crushed pretty good. I’m lucky to be here."
His son, who sheltered in a basem*nt, was also OK.
(2:08 p.m. ET) Please, Don't Call Unless You Really Need Us
Residents in Greenfield are requesting that family and friends not call their cell phones unless it's an emergency, according to a list of announcements compiled by the Adair County Free Press.
"With no power, their phones are dying and they are trying to preserve battery life," reads the announcement, posted on social media.
(1:22 p.m. ET) Initial Survey Results Come In From Greenfield
From the National Weather Service in Des Moines: Initial storm surveys have confirmed at least EF-3 damage in Greenfield, Iowa. Additional damage evaluation will continue over the next several days and results are subject to change. Additional tornado paths and ratings will be added as data continues to be collected.
(1:17 p.m. ET) Iowa Governor Surveys Damage
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was in the town of Greenfield for a media briefing and to survey damage caused by the storms. Photos were shared to Governor Reynolds’ social media.
(12:25 p.m. ET) Photos Show Heartbreaking Devastation
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Images from the town of Greenfield show mangled vehicles, homes and trees, surrounded by every kind of debris. Click through our full slideshow to see more.
(12:17 p.m. ET) Remaining School Days Canceled To Use School As Shelter
In a Wednesday press conference, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds shared that, as a result of the disaster proclamation, school is “officially over” for the school year as emergency responders use school facilities as a makeshift hospital and shelter.
“The shelter will continue to be at the high school because we were able to with the disaster proclamation that provides the director of the Department of Education ... the ability to waive school days,” Reynolds said. “She’s waived the last four days of school, so school is officially over and they’ll be able to continue to use the high school as a shelter.”
(11:46 a.m. ET) Bank Machine No Match For Powerful Tornado
In a destroyed area of Greenfield, Iowa, a lone ATM machine stands amid the debris of a brick building.
(11:34 a.m. ET) Damaging Severe Weather Continues
Fresh damage reports are coming in from eastern Oklahoma, where severe weather moved through this morning.
At least one home was hit in the community of Quinton, about 70 miles southeast of Tulsa. There are also reports of golf-ball sized hail in the southern Oklahoma community of Pontotoc.
Earlier, quarter-size hail fell earlier on Ft. Sill, a U.S. Army base near Lawton.
(11:15 a.m. ET) National Guard Official Shares Aerial Video
Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Director Jackie Schmillen shared aerial footage showing damage in Greenfield. In the video you can see that some buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed while other nearby buildings remained at least partially intact.
(9:55 a.m. ET) How Meteorologists Detect, Warn About Tornadoes
Greenfield had 46 minutes of lead time from the first tornado warning to when the tornado hit. But, how do meteorologists know when to “sound the alarm” both figuratively and literally in the case of places with storm sirens.
Weather.com Senior Meteorologist Jonathan Erdman explains:
"Doppler radar has been used by National Weather Service meteorologists since the 1990s to show not just areas of rain, but also the motion of precipitation within thunderstorms. When areas of rotation in thunderstorms are strong and persistent enough, they issue a tornado warning.
But given a radar beam shoots above the horizon, that rotation is often detected aloft, but may not necessarily be a tornado.
In the early 2010s, NWS Doppler radars were upgraded with dual-polarization technology. Among other benefits, it detects debris lofted by tornadoes, known as a tornadic debris signature (TDS). This allows meteorologists to confirm a tornado is in progress, even if there aren't spotters and it's at night with poor visibility.
In Tuesday's case, the rotation aloft was very strong, and lofted tornado debris was detected by radar up to 40,000 feet above the ground, both indicative of an intense tornado.
And even before the TDS appeared on radar, given the volatile mix of weather ingredients in place, NWS-Des Moines quickly issued tornado warnings for areas of rotation detected. They issued such a tornado warning six minutes before they confirmed it on radar."
(9:45 a.m. ET) Rehabilitation, Assisted Living Community Affected
The Greenfield Rehabilitation & Health Care Center reported that their facilities were impacted by the recent storms. Residents of the community were safely evacuated and transferred to other locations. However, the path forward is unclear as officials for the center assess the situation. Those with specific questions or concerns were directed to contact the Administrator, Jacqueline Welchans, at (712) 350- 0076.
(9:30 a.m. ET) Wind Not From Tornadoes Also Caused Damage
Tornadoes weren’t the only damaging element of the recent severe storms. Damaging straight lines were also a factor in some places. A personal weather station in eastern Iowa recorded a wind gust of 100 mph and several other locations saw gusts reaching 70 mph.
(9:00 a.m. ET) Iowa Seniors To Miss Out On Award Ceremony Due To Damage
In a social media post, Johnston High School in Iowa announced the postponing of their senior awards night saying, “But we will get your awards and cords to you before graduation!” The awards ceremony is set to be rescheduled. General school sessions were also canceled for Wednesday. Staff were asked to remain away from the building. The damage is being described as “extensive.” Students in the Johnston Community School District were released early on Tuesday before the storms hit the school.
(8:30 a.m. ET) ‘We're A Small Community, We're A Tough Community’
The damage in the Midwest will require a long time to recover from. But, some residents are remaining hopeful despite the challenges ahead. In reporting from Des Moines news outlet KCCI, Fontanelle resident Donnell Griffith said, “We're a small community, we're a tough community... We will rebuild this community together. We're small but we're mighty." Griffith’s husband owns Griff’s Garage, a business in Greenfield that was destroyed by the storms. Video shows that the building was leveled, fortunately without Griffith’s husband inside.
(8:00 a.m. ET) Additional Resources For Greenfield
Greenfield Chamber Main Street & Community Development shared a number of resources for Iowans who have either been affected by the recent storms or wish to help those affected. Both local banks in Greenfield, First National Bank and Union State, are accepting donations. Those wishing to donate directly to tornado recovery efforts should use the “other” option and manually enter “tornado recovery” on the donation submission form. Those who wish to help and have the credentials to do so can report to the Department of Transportation Building on Highway 92 where a command post has been set up.
(7:15 a.m. ET) Could Be Days Before Power Is Fully Restored
Power restorations are in progress as more than 80,000 homes and businesses remain without power in the Midwest according to PowerOutages.us. According to local outlet WMTV, Madison Gas and Electric has told customers to “be patient” while restoration is ongoing. Utility company Commonwealth Edison Company in Illinois says they restore service to critical services and infrastructure first adding that, “This process may take several hours or days depending on the size of the storm.”
(6:35 a.m. ET) More Severe Weather To Come
As communities work to rebuild, there is a chance for more severe weather to hit the nation in the days to come, bringing the likelihood of large hail, wind damage and even more tornadoes. The severe threat is expected to stretch across parts of the Plains, Midwest and South through the holiday weekend.
(6:10 a.m. ET) Preliminary Storm Surveys Scheduled For Today
The National Weather Service office in Des Moines announced they will be conducting several storm surveys today including the hard-hit Greenfield and Corning areas. The agency expects a preliminary report to be available later today.
(5:30 a.m. ET) Communities Spring To Action
In an impressive display of community spirit, residents have begun helping one another salvage what remains of their belongings. A triage center has been set up at the Greenfield high school to assist those needing medical attention. The Adair County Health System is actively coordinating these efforts.
(5:15 a.m. ET) Injuries, Deaths Confirmed
Sergeant Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Patrol confirmed fatalities from the tornado to the Associated Press although the exact number is still being determined. At least a dozen injured individuals were transported to a neighboring facility after the hospital in town was damaged by the storms.
(5 a.m. ET) Greenfield Remains In A State Of Emergency
Officials from the city of Greenfield, Iowa, announced a mandatory curfew for the town, adding that residents would only be allowed to enter Greenfield until Wednesday morning. Media personnel were told to leave Tuesday night.
To read all the developments as they played out yesterday, read this page.
