A “devastating tornado” struck a town in the US state of Iowa on Tuesday May 21, causing deaths and injuries, police announced, without providing a casualty count. The massive storm “devastated a good portion of” Greenfield, a town of about 2,000 people 70 kilometers southwest of Des Moines, the state capital, said Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla. of Iowa State, during a press conference.
“Earlier today, the town of Greenfield was hit by a devastating tornado. Local, county and state emergency services quickly initiated search and rescue operations after this tornado passed through the area,” said Sergeant Alex Dinkla.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that this tornado caused fatalities and injuries to residents in the Greenfield area,” he added. He did not specify the number of deaths, but said a dozen people had been taken to hospital. After searching the area, “we believe everyone has been accounted for,” he said.
Images posted on the Des Moines Register website show scenes of devastation in Greenfield: many razed homes, uprooted trees and overturned cars.
Curfew and state of emergency due to bad weather
The city will be under a curfew, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Dinkla said, adding that the curfew is “expected to last for some time.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds declared a state of emergency in fifteen counties, including Adair, which includes Greenfield, due to bad weather. “I am committed to providing all state resources to support the relief and reconstruction efforts,” she said in a statement, adding that she planned to travel to Greenfield on Wednesday to assess the damage. .
She said she was praying for the “communities and families impacted by today’s severe weather, especially those who tragically lost their lives in the Greenfield area.”