Several tornadoes were reported in Iowa and Illinois as storms downed power lines and trees, just days after a deadly tornado devastated a small town. The storm system began in Nebraska before traveling through central Iowa and into Illinois, causing a weak tornado in suburban Des Moines and several other reported twisters near Iowa City and Moline, Illinois. No injuries or deaths were reported, but heavy rain in some areas of Iowa has caused significant flooding. A church in Madison, Wisconsin, also caught fire during a thunderstorm on Friday, but firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.
In Oklahoma, a tornado was on the ground for about an hour in Jackson County and neighboring counties as a slow-moving storm moved through, causing downed power lines, outages, and structural damage. Severe weather was expected throughout the long Memorial Day weekend, with a strong risk of tornadoes in the Great Plains, particularly Kansas and Oklahoma. In New Mexico, strong winds and low humidity could fuel wildfires. Meteorologists emphasized the importance of remaining aware of approaching thunderstorms during this peak time of year for tornadoes and severe weather in the United States.
The recent severe weather comes as residents of Greenfield, Iowa have been cleaning up after a strong tornado on Tuesday. The storm system on Friday brought heavy rains, hail, and strong winds to the community, still recovering from the previous tornado that killed four people, injured 35 others, and destroyed over 100 homes and a nearby wind farm. A fifth person was killed in a tornado about 25 miles away. Residents like Tom Wiggins, who lost his grandparents in the tornado, are left trying to salvage any remaining mementos from the wreckage. Cleanup efforts continue in Greenfield, with the devastation likened to a bomb going off.
As the cleanup efforts continue, the National Weather Service determined that three powerful tornadoes carved paths totaling 130 miles across Iowa on Tuesday. Along with the tornadoes, Saturday’s storms are expected to bring extremely large hail, with the risk of strong tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds shifting into Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky on Sunday. The Mid-Atlantic region could also see severe thunderstorms on Monday. Tornado risks increase in May due to the clash of cold, dry air from Canada and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, along with strong upper-level winds in the atmosphere. Meteorologists are urging residents to stay safe and vigilant during this dangerous weather period.
