Tornadoes tear through central Iowa, 7 dead
- Tornadoes hit Madison and Lucas counties in the US state of Iowa
- Iowa governor issued a disaster proclamation for recovery efforts
Seven people were killed, including two children, when several tornadoes swept through central Iowa, destroying homes and knocking down trees and power lines in the state’s deadliest storm in more than a decade, authorities said.
Emergency management officials in Madison County said four were injured and six people were killed on Saturday when one tornado touched down in the area southwest of Des Moines near the town of Winterset around 4.30pm. Among those killed were two children under the age of five and four adults.
In Lucas County, about 87km southeast of Des Moines, officials confirmed one death and multiple reported injuries when a separate tornado struck less than an hour later.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Madison County, which allows state resources to be used to assist with recovery.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the deadly storms that tore through our state today,” Reynolds said in a statement.
In December, dozens of devastating tornadoes ripped through five US states, leaving at least 79 people dead in Kentucky – with fatalities also recorded in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois.
Thunderstorms that spawned Saturday’s tornadoes moved through much of Iowa from the afternoon until the night with storms also causing damage in the Des Moines suburb of Norwalk, areas just east of Des Moines and other areas of eastern Iowa.