DES MOINES (Iowa, US), May 22 (NNN-XINHUA) — Multiple tornadoes ripped through western part of U.S. Midwestern state of Iowa on Tuesday afternoon, causing at least one death and major damage, local media reported.
The death occurred in Adams County, about 144.8 km southwest of Des Moines, capital of Iowa.
Meanwhile, a tornado went through the city of Greenfield, about 88.5 km southwest of Des Moines, shortly before 5:00 p.m., injuring multiple people and destroying a hospital.
Video released by local TV station shows ripped houses and flattened structures, piles of debris, damaged cars and countless toppled trees.
In the southwest city of Prescott, multiple turbines at an Iowa wind farm were destroyed, leaving behind burning wreckage.
Wind turbines generate 60 percent of Iowa’s electricity.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center earlier issued alerts of high chance of seeing severe thunderstorms with potential for strong tornadoes to most areas of Iowa. Des Moines’ public schools ended classes two hours early and canceled all evening activities ahead of the storms.
The National Weather Service expects the storm system to turn south on Wednesday, and bring more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Strong winds, large hail and tornadoes swept parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging homes and injuring two in Oklahoma.
Another round of storms Monday night raked Colorado and western Nebraska, pouring hail the size of baseballs and golf balls on the city of Yuma, Colorado.
Last week, deadly storms hit the Houston area in Texas, killing at least seven. Those storms Thursday knocked out power to hundreds of thousands for days, leaving the Texans in the dark and without air conditioning during hot and humid weather. — NNN-XINHUA
