Tornadoes sweep through Iowa; major damage, some injured

Local meteorologist: No sign of twisters in forecast

DES MOINES, Iowa — A flurry of unexpected tornadoes swept through central Iowa Thursday, injuring at least 17 people, flattening buildings in three cities and forcing the evacuation of a hospital.

The tornadoes hit Marshalltown, Pella and Bondurant as surprised residents ran for cover. Ten people in Marshalltown were injured and seven hurt at a factory near Pella, but no deaths were reported.

Marshalltown, about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines, appeared to have been hit the hardest. Brick walls collapsed, roofs were blown off buildings and the cupola of the historic courthouse tumbled 175 feet to the ground.

The only hospital in Marshalltown was damaged, spokeswoman Amy Varcoe said. All 40 patients at UnityPoint Health were being transferred to the health system’s larger hospital in Waterloo, as well as one in Grundy Center, she said.

The emergency room in the smaller Marshalltown hospital remained open, Varcoe said. Ten people hurt in the storm had been treated there, she said. She did not know how serious the injuries were.

Marshalltown resident Stephanie Moz said she, her husband and 2-month-old baby were in the downtown clothing store she owns when tornado sirens went off. The family sought shelter in the building’s basement, and heard “cracking and booms and explosions” as the tornado passed.

The storm broke out a window and destroyed her husband’s vehicle. But she said she’s relieved.

“We went through a tornado and survived,” Moz said. “I’m happy.”

Weather forecasters said the tornadoes formed suddenly and took them by surprise.

Alex Krull, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, said forecasting models produced Thursday morning showed only a slight chance of strong thunderstorms later in the day.

“If anything, we were expecting we could get some large hail if strong storms developed,” Krull said.

Additional funnels were reported as the storm moved east of Des Moines past Altoona, Prairie City and Colfax.

National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon said two primary storms spawned the damaging tornadoes. One developed in the Marshalltown area, causing damage there, while the other started east of Des Moines, and traveled through Bondurant and into Pella.

The exact number of tornadoes and their strength will be determined later.

Iowa State Rep. Mark Smith, who lives in Marshalltown, told Des Moines station KCCI-TV that the area likely will be declared a disaster area. Smith said much of downtown was damaged.

“There are houses with windows out, houses without roofs,” he said. “It’s just an absolute mess.”

Another tornado hit agricultural machinery maker Vermeer Manufacturing in the town of Pella, about 40 miles southeast of Des Moines. People were still working there at the time. The storm scattered huge sheets of metal through a parking lot and left one building with a huge hole in it.

Seven people injured at the plant were taken to Pella Regional Health Center. They all were released after being treated for their minor injuries.