Extreme storms pummeled Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Colorado with torrential rain, high winds, and large hail, causing significant damage and injuries. In Greenfield, Iowa, multiple people were injured and there was extensive damage in the town due to a tornado. Wind turbines were also destroyed by tornadoes in southwest Iowa. The Adair County Health System hospital in Greenfield was damaged, but the extent of the damage was unknown. Residents reported widespread damage in the area with roofs blown off houses and debris scattered across the town.
Storms also hit Omaha, Nebraska, with weather sirens blaring, widespread power outages, and flooding. Thousands lost power, and more than 5 inches of rain fell in less than two hours, leading to flooded basements and submerged cars. In Illinois, dust storms caused authorities to close stretches of interstates due to low visibility. The storms in Colorado and western Nebraska brought hail the size of baseballs and golf balls, causing damage to vehicles, buildings, and streets in Yuma, Colorado. Residents used heavy equipment to clear the hail that piled up knee-deep in some areas.
The severe weather that has ravaged the central part of the country followed days of strong winds, large hail, and tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas, causing damage to homes and injuries. The storm system also brought rain, hail, and wind to the city of Yuma, Colorado, stranding cars in the streets and causing flooding. The Houston area in Texas was hit by deadly storms last week, leaving at least seven people dead and hundreds of thousands without power, air conditioning, or shelter. Downtown skyscrapers were damaged, and structures were reduced to debris and shattered glass by hurricane-force winds.
The National Weather Service had issued warnings for severe weather in Iowa, with the potential for strong tornadoes. Thunderstorms were expected to bring high winds, heavy rain, and large hail to Minnesota, Illinois, and northern Missouri. The system was predicted to move south and bring more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri on Wednesday. Residents in affected areas were urged to take precautions, seek shelter, and be prepared for potential damage and injuries as the storms moved through the region.
In the wake of the storms, residents were left to assess the damage, clean up debris, and repair property. In Greenfield, Iowa, the Chamber of Commerce office reported significant roof damage to several houses, with whole roofs needing replacement. In Yuma, Colorado, residents had to use snow shovels and heavy construction equipment to clear knee-deep hail from the streets and sidewalks. Insurance claims adjusters described the storm as the worst they had seen in their years working in the industry, emphasizing the severity of the damage caused by the extreme weather events across multiple states.
