Run like the wind: Residents in shock as tornado hits central Iowa town

A local resident runs past a tornadodamaged building on Main Street in Marshalltown, Iowa.

Thousands of people were without power yesterday after a flurry of unexpected tornadoes swept through central Iowa, injuring at least 17 people and flattening buildings in three cities.

The storms even surprised weather forecasters when they hit the region on Thursday afternoon, causing extensive damage to a manufacturing plant.