May 22 (UPI) — A tornado that smashed through a western Iowa city on Tuesday killed four people and injured at least 35 others, officials said Wednesday as they revealed the death toll left in the twister’s wake.
The storm hit Greenfield, a city of some 2,000 people located about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines, Tuesday afternoon. Videos and images circulated online show stretches of the town razed and reduced to debris.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced the casualty toll Wednesday, stating it believes the number of injured is likely higher and the 35 individuals reported only reflect those being treated for injuries at designated alternate care sites.
At least 14 people were transported by EMS services to out-of-country medical facilities, it said.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds visited Greenfield to inspect the damage.
“The community of Greenfield is strong,” the Republican governor said in a statement.
“Amid the devastation there is hope and resilience. Progress is already visible, and it will continue. Thank you to emergency management, first responders, law enforcement, health care providers, and everyone supporting the effort.”
On Tuesday following the severe weather, Reynolds had authorized a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for 15 counties, including Adair, where Greenfield is located, freeing up state resources to be used for recovery operations while activating the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant and Disaster Case Advocacy programs.
In a press conference in Greenfield on Wednesday, Reynolds said she requested an expedited presidential disaster declaration.
State Rep. Ray Sorensen, who represents the 23rd district, that includes Adair County, said the storm has forever changed Greenfield’s appearance, felling historic trees that made its skyline.
“There are so many historic trees in town that are gone, and, you know, not to downplay people’s houses completely destroyed, but that to me is the history of Greenfield are some of those old trees and it’s a completely different town now,” he said.
“I was glad that it spared the grandstand at the fairgrounds, because that’s another historic grandstand and so we’ve been lucky there.”
The storm hit less than a month after both Minden and Shelby, Iowa, were slammed with strong tornadoes, killing at least one person.
CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.
Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.
Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.
Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.
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See Iowa DOT snowplow camera capture moment SUV rear ends plow
An Iowa DOT snowplow was hit while clearing snow along Iowa Highway 60 in Sioux County on Nov. 29, 2025. The crash was caught on the plow’s cameras.
Another round of snow swept through Iowa, leaving more than 3 inches in some parts of the state.
Flurries began falling in Des Moines around noon on Thursday, Dec. 11, and persisted until late in the evening.
Here’s a look at the highest snowfall totals in Iowa as of 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, according to the National Weather Service.
Over an inch of snow fell at the Des Moines International Airport, with the National Weather Service reporting 1.1 inches as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.
Grimes reported 1.3 inches of snow and other reports from the Des Moines area were around 1 inch.
Nevada in Story County reported 0.5 inches
No reports were received from Iowa City, according to the National Weather Service. Nearby University Heights reported 1.5 inches. Oakdale reported 2 inches and North Liberty reported 1.3 inches of snow.
Another round of snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue into Saturday, Dec. 13, in the afternoon.
Des Moines is projected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow during this time. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Des Moines from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The advisory is also in effect in cities spanning from Sioux City to Davenport.
Temperatures are also expected to drop during the weekend, with daytime highs of 9 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and lows of 10 degrees below zero on Saturday and 1 degree below zero on Sunday.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Iowa’s Clarissa Chun breaks down win over Oklahoma State
VIDEO: Iowa’s Clarissa Chun breaks down dual win over Oklahoma State
Iowa Athletics
While Iowa women’s wrestling rolled Grand View, 32-10, on Dec. 11 at Waukee Northwest High School, the Vikings provided a worthy challenge in Central Iowa.
The Hawkeyes and Grand View were the second leg of a doubleheader, with a high school dual between Raccoon River Wrestling and Ankeny, the top two teams at last season’s IGHSAU state meet, happening earlier in the night.
The Hawkeyes won each match that was held, but did not send a wrestler at 160 pounds, while Grand View did not participate at 180, so each team took one forfeit. In the eight matches held, Iowa won all of them and two by bonus points at 131 and 145. A sizeable chunk of Iowa’s top starters didn’t wrestle, but Grand View fought tough nonetheless.
“They’re (Grand View) scrappy and they fight hard,” said Iowa coach Clarissa Chun.
The Hawkeyes opened with four wins by decision from 103 to 124 against top-end wrestlers in the NAIA division. Sterling Dias earned a 3-0 decision over Judy Sandova (No. 2 in NAIA) at 103, followed by an 8-2 victory for Nyla Valencia over Tristan Nitta (No. 5 in NAIA) at 110 and a 9-2 decision for Brianna Gonzalez over Mayangelie Colon (No. 3 in NAIA) at 117.
In one of the best wins of the night, Cali Leng downed Catharine Campbell (No. 3 in NAIA) at 124 by a 9-1 decision. Her front headlocks and control of the hand fight led to her rotating behind Campbell for multiple takedowns.
“She’s got a big gas tank and a big heart,” Chun said. “She found ways to adjust and put points on the board.”
Emily Frost won at 131 pounds as she normally does, locking up a headlock and tossing Maya Davis for a win by fall in the first period. Iowa native Lilly Luft followed that pin with a tough win by decision, trailing by criteria at 6-6, but securing two takedowns late in the second period to defeat Adrienna Turner, 10-6. Before the two forfeits, Cadence Diduch rolled in a 10-0 technical fall of Sofia Delgado at 145 pounds.
In the final bout of the night, Libby Dix gave fans at Waukee Northwest a show. Trailing by criteria at 2-2, Dix scored a late step-out point with just a few seconds remaining to clinch the win. While she hadn’t wrestled a ton of freestyle before her college career, she won with her awareness late to score on the one-point action unique to freestyle.
“She’s a gamer,” Chun said. “She’s competitive. If she wasn’t, she would’ve been hung up on losing the match 2-2, but she wanted to go get one.”
The Hawkeyes have one more test before going off on winter break, traveling to Naperville, Ill. on Dec. 14 for the North Central Open.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
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