Greenfield, a community of approximately 2,000 residents situated roughly 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, bore the brunt of the tornado's wrath.
On Tuesday, tragedy struck as a potent tornado wreaked havoc upon a small Iowa town in United States, claiming multiple lives and leaving at least a dozen individuals injured. The destructive force of nature carved a grim scene of devastation, reducing homes and businesses to rubble, tearing through trees, and scattering debris far and wide.
Greenfield, a community of approximately 2,000 residents situated roughly 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, bore the brunt of the tornado's wrath. This calamity unfolded amidst a day marked by multiple tornadoes, colossal hailstones, and torrential downpours across several states.
Check out this whip-like vortex in the south of Greenfield, Iowa with on the controls. Full 4K video is on YT WATCH: https://t.co/SQHq4Cwmwg pic.twitter.com/FyBbaHxUuV
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA)MY GOODNESS... yet another incredible tornado in Iowa, we got close to this massive stovepipe and didn't even know there was another beast ongoing just a few miles away. 2024 continues to impress...
FUL VIDEO HERE - https://t.co/0wHzgjoKOu pic.twitter.com/VjrbUra2l2
My view from the back seat with Team Dominator today as this tornado pounds the daylights out of some wind turbines near Greenfield, Iowa. pic.twitter.com/lt9GeacSQe
— LocalMan Weather (@localmanweather)
“We do have confirmed fatalities,” Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night.
Authorities are still working to determine the total number of casualties, but they believe they've now located all of the town's residents. Sadly, there have been at least a dozen injuries reported amidst the widespread devastation in Greenfield, including damage to the community's small hospital, necessitating the transfer of patients to nearby cities.
Greenfield, Iowa was devastated by what will no doubt be a major tornado when rated. Here is that tornado when it first formed southwest of Villisca, Iowa. After narrowly escaping the fast moving , large, powerful twister, I became stuck in the mud as it passed just to my north,… pic.twitter.com/lJFac9uTdb
— Aaron Jayjack (@aaronjayjack)Greenfield, is completely leveled by the track! It's very bad here, Please send help, food, water, and supplies... I have search and rescue ongoing right now!
Contact Curtislergner@gmail.com for licensing. pic.twitter.com/k0pXtvkfLx
MY GOODNESS... yet another incredible tornado in Iowa, we got close to this massive stovepipe and didn't even know there was another beast ongoing just a few miles away. 2024 continues to impress...
FUL VIDEO HERE - https://t.co/0wHzgjoKOu pic.twitter.com/VjrbUra2l2
In response to the crisis, the Adair County Health System swiftly established a triage center at Greenfield High School, urging those in need of medical assistance to seek aid there.
As the situation unfolds, authorities have restricted access to Greenfield, permitting only residents to enter until Wednesday morning, and instructing media representatives to depart the city by Tuesday night.
The aftermath of the storm has left parts of Greenfield in ruins. Streets are strewn with mounds of debris—broken wood, branches, and car parts—marking the spots where homes once stood. Amidst the wreckage, damaged vehicles lie twisted, while houses sit askew against the somber backdrop of the overcast sky. Barely recognizable, trees stand stripped of their branches and leaves. Despite the devastation, residents are coming together, assisting one another in salvaging what they can from the debris or from homes that remain precariously standing.
went right through downtown . Drone flight from one end of town to the other shows catastrophic destruction. Please find an appropriate way to donate to the town. pic.twitter.com/yKeJGS99vo
— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms)Here’s a first look at some of the aftermath in the town of Greenfield, Iowa after a moved through this afternoon. This the view from ’s Meteorologist Jason Parkin and photo journalist . pic.twitter.com/eFCU5kNfps
— Katie Kaplan (@KatieKaplanTV)Small signs of hope in Greenfield. A rainbow in the sky over a basement that was the refuge that saved the lives of two families with young children. pic.twitter.com/ihTg1lSvjD
— Jonathan Petramala (@jpetramala)Reflecting on the ordeal, Rogue Paxton recounted sheltering in the basement of his home as the storm raged through. While fearing the worst for his house, he expressed gratitude that his family emerged from the ordeal relatively unscathed.
“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.”
Across the state, reports of multiple tornadoes emerged, with one notably causing damage to several 250-foot wind turbines in southwest Iowa. Some of these turbines were even engulfed in flames, releasing plumes of smoke that lingered for hours.
Tornado deleting windmills close to Williamson, Iowa pic.twitter.com/olQo3wUmsV
— Edgar ONeal (@EdgarONealWX)TORNADO CROSSING ROAD NEAR NEVADA IOWA. pic.twitter.com/Rqo7GnhfCO
— Dylan Atkinson (@Dylanwx03)Tornado em Iowa, perto da cidade de Red Oak (EUA, 21 de maio de 2024). pic.twitter.com/yUGfsoT8NC
— TUCARJ54 ( RESERVA 15ª ) (@tucarj54)This was taken at 2:46 PM, 6 minutes before I could confirm a tornado in progress southwest of Villisca, Iowa. Tornadogenesis has begun. Things evolved rapidly. At 2:52 PM CT I have just cleared the path of where the tornado crosses the road I am on (barely) and begin to film… pic.twitter.com/TeLY37J3oN
— Aaron Jayjack (@aaronjayjack)Droned this near Corning, Iowa until it got closer and I had to reposition! pic.twitter.com/4mKjGmU9RH
— Jordan Hall (@JordanHallWX)Typically designed to withstand the forces of nature, wind farms like these are engineered to endure tornadoes, hurricanes, and strong winds. Equipped with safety measures, such as automatic shutdowns when wind speeds exceed certain thresholds—usually around 55 mph—and blade-locking mechanisms, turbines are built to minimize damage by turning into the wind and feathering their blades.
Before the storm, Greenfield was celebrated as a welcoming community, boasting tree-lined streets that invited a friendly wave from passersby. Special occasions were marked by the crackle of fireworks and the twinkle of lights, creating a festive atmosphere. Branded as the "perfect place to grow," Greenfield prides itself on its tight-knit community spirit, where local businesses know their patrons by name and neighbors readily lend a helping hand.
Mary Long, owner of Long's Market in downtown Greenfield, recounted sheltering from the storm at her business located in the town's historic square, which fortunately escaped significant damage. However, Long observed widespread devastation on the east and south sides of town, highlighting the storm's impact on various parts of the community.
“I could hear this roaring, like the proverbial freight train, and then it was just done,” she told AP news.
In the far southwestern reaches of Iowa, social media footage captured the ominous sight of a tornado looming just northwest of Red Oak. As the storm system progressed eastward and northward, the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings for regions near towns like Griswold, Corning, Fontanelle, and Guthrie Center, among others.
The state of Iowa had been on high alert for severe weather following forecasts from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, which had indicated a significant risk of severe thunderstorms capable of producing strong tornadoes across most of the state. In anticipation of the impending storms, Des Moines public schools took precautionary measures by dismissing classes two hours early and canceling all evening activities.
As the storms and tornado warnings swept across the region, they eventually reached Wisconsin on Tuesday evening and into the night. Among the areas affected was the state's capital city of Madison, which also found itself under a tornado warning, heightening concerns for residents and authorities alike.
Earlier in the day, residents of Omaha, Nebraska, were jolted awake by blaring weather sirens and faced widespread power outages as the area was battered by torrential rain, high winds, and large hail. The relentless downpour led to flooded basements and submerged cars, prompting dramatic rescue efforts by firefighters who braved the elements to assist stranded motorists, as captured by television station KETV.
Meanwhile, in Illinois, dust storms prompted authorities to close sections of two interstates due to dangerously low visibility. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Schaffer, wind gusts ranging from 35 mph to 45 mph wreaked havoc in the McLean area.
These storms were part of a series of extreme weather events that have swept across the central United States in recent days. Oklahoma and Kansas were rocked by strong winds, large hail, and tornadoes on Sunday, resulting in damaged homes and injuries. On Monday night, Colorado and western Nebraska were hit by another round of storms, with the city of Yuma, Colorado, being blanketed in hail the size of baseballs and golf balls. The aftermath saw streets transformed into icy rivers, with front-end loaders needed to clear hail as deep as half a foot.
Last week, deadly storms struck the Houston area in Texas, claiming the lives of at least eight individuals. These storms, accompanied by hurricane-force winds, caused widespread power outages that left hundreds of thousands without electricity for days, exposing residents to hot and humid conditions without air conditioning. The death toll rose on Tuesday with the inclusion of a man who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning while running a generator after losing power. Downtown skyscrapers bore the brunt of the hurricane-force winds, resulting in shattered glass and reduced structures to debris.
Tuesday's storms were forecasted to bring similar severe weather—high winds, heavy rain, and large hail—to Minnesota and parts of northern Missouri, according to Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service. He warned that the system was expected to shift southward on Wednesday, bringing more severe weather to areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri.