Iowa: Greenfield, Iowa was struck by a devastating tornado on Tuesday which left a scene of devastation and tragedy. Multiple fatalities have been confirmed in the incident, with at least a dozen more injured as the powerful storm tore through a community and demolished homes, businesses and infrastructures.
The tornado which struck Greenfield during the day marked by severe weather across several states has left the town of approximately 2000 residents reeling. Authorities are still determining the complete amount of the damage and casualties, according to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla, however, preliminary counts indicate a significant death toll.
Residents have described the harrowing experiences as they sought shelter from the deadly storm. Rogue Paxton, who sheltered in his basement with his family, recounted the destruction around him. Despite his own stroke of luck, he expressed sorrow for his neighbours, many of whom lost their homes entirely. “But everyone else is not so much, like my brother Cody, his house just got wiped,” Paxton said. “Then you see all these people out here helping each other. … Everything’s going to be fine because we have each other, but it’s just going to be really, really rough. It is a mess.”
In addition to the human toll, the tornado also wreaked havoc on the infrastructure of the town, including a small hospital which was forced to transfer patients to neighbouring facilities due to the damage. The impact of the storm was devastating with homes vehicles and even turbines falling to its force.
Greenfield, which is well-known for its tight-knit neighbourhood and lanes dotted with trees, now has a long path ahead of it. The owner of Long’s Market Mary Long saw the storm from the safety of her establishment and spoke of the profound consequences. There have been reports of comparable meteorological events throughout the state and neighbouring regions, indicating that the tornado’s route of destruction went beyond Greenfield.
