Tornado devastates Greenfield, Iowa: Numerous fatalities reported

A powerful tornado swept through the small town of Greenfield in the state of Iowa, United States—the police report “numerous fatalities” and several injuries. The scale of destruction is enormous.

Police spokesperson Alex Dinkla, in an interview with the AP agency, described the scale of the destruction caused by the tornado. He stated that the tornado “has devastated a good portion of this town and community.”

The tornado, with great force, ripped roofs off buildings, toppled houses, and knocked down power poles. The storm observers' portal, Live Storm Media, published a video showing the destruction the tornado left. The recording shows homes destroyed to the point where they resemble mere ruins.

Recordings have appeared on the meteorological portal AccuWeather and social media showing broken wind turbine masts that were destroyed by the tornado.

Due to the warning of the approaching tornado, the airport in Des Moines, about 85 kilometres from Greenfield, suspended flights. “Passengers and staff were escorted to storm-safe parts of the terminal,” reported the local newspaper “Des Moines Register.”

Tuesday’s tornado warnings affected areas inhabited by more than 13 million people in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, reminded the newspaper “New York Times.”