Miracle in Iowa as surprise tornado outbreak rips though towns

A tornado outbreak caught both meteorologists and residents by surprise in Iowa as several small towns suffered direct hits. Despite the damage, no fatalities have been reported. 

Tornadoes formed by surprise in central Iowa and hit several towns, but no fatalities were reported.

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (Catholic Online)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
7/20/2018 (6 years ago)

Published in U.S.

Keywords: Tornadoes, Iowa, outbreak, surprise, Marshalltown, Pella

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - A surprise tornado outbreak has hit Iowa, with twisters ripping through Marshalltown and Pella. Marshalltown is a community of 27,000 people just twenty miles northeast of the state capital of Des Moines. Pella is a community of 10,000 twenty miles east, southeast of Des Moines. Both communities suffered direct hits from tornadoes. 

Marshalltown was the hardest hit with the tornado toppling the iconic tower of the town's courthouse. The twister then hit a hospital, damaging the facility enough to require that patients be evacuated to other hospitals. The town declared a state of emergency. 

In Pella, a twister struck a factory where people were still working. 

Despite the damage, no people were killed. There were 17 injuries reported. 

Meteorologists admit they were taken by surprise by the storm. Alex Krull, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Des Moines told reporters that models did not predict the possibility of tornadoes. "If anything, we were expecting we could get some large hail, if strong storms developed."

The storms also spawned funnel clouds farther east, but these did not touch down or do any damage. 

The incident underscores the importance of individual vigilance because meteorologists can sometimes be taken by surprise. Forecasting the weather is a science, but it remains imprecise. It is a miracle that no people lost their lives. 

At this time, no severe weather is in the immediate forecast for the area.