ammonnews.net

Ammon News - Multiple people died Tuesday and at least a dozen were injured when a powerful tornado tore through a small Iowa town, carving a bleak landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, shredded trees, smashed cars, and widely strewn debris.

The tornado destroyed much of Greenfield, a town of about 2,000 around 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, during a day that saw multiple tornadoes, giant hail and heavy rain in several states.

“We do have confirmed fatalities,” Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night. He said authorities were still determining the total number but thought they had accounted for all of the town’s residents.

Dinkla said there were at least a dozen injuries amid widespread devastation in Greenfield, including at the community’s small hospital. Patients there had to be transferred to other facilities in nearby cities.

The Adair County Health System said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that it had set up a triage center at the Greenfield high school and that people who need medical attention should go there.

Authorities said they would only allow residents to enter Greenfield until Wednesday morning and ordered media representatives to leave the city Tuesday night.

New York Post