'Scariest thing I've ever experienced': Iowa tornado kills at least 7, including 2 children
DES MOINES, Iowa – Stunned residents of the Madison County town of Winterset reached out to friends and neighbors Sunday after at least six people, including two children under 5 years old, were killed when a powerful tornado raced through the central Iowa community.
A seventh death was reported in Chariton in Lucas County, but officials provided few details.
Madison County officials released the names of the six victims who died in the tornado during a Sunday news conference.
Melissa Bazley, 63, Rodney Clark, 64, Cecilia Lloyd, 72, Michael Bolger, 37, Kenley Bolger, 5, and Owen Bolger, 2, all died as a result of the tornado that spanned 13.7 miles, according to authorities.
Six victims were still being treated for their injuries as of Sunday, Madison County Emergency Manager Diogenes Ayala said. At least 52 homes were damaged or destroyed in the tornado's path.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who visited Winterset on Sunday, issued a disaster proclamation for Madison County after a series of confirmed tornadoes in Iowa triggered by severe weather that slammed much of the Midwest.
"Our hearts ache during this time, but I know Iowans will step up and come together to help in this time of need,” Reynolds said in a statement. “They already are.”
More than 100,000 homes and businesses across Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa were dark at the peak of the storm. Des Moines International Airport halted flights and protected travelers in tornado shelters under the airport.
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The killer tornado struck Winterset shortly after another confirmed tornado was reported near Corning, Iowa, 60 miles to the west in Adams County.
In and around Winterset, a hamlet of less than 6,000 people on the southwest edge of the Des Moines metropolitan area, farms and businesses were ripped apart. More than two dozen homes were destroyed within seconds, authorities said.
“It looked like a bomb went off,” Sheriff Jason Barnes said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s bad. Leveled houses, trees. Just unbelievable.”
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The National Weather Service said at least three thunderstorms producing tornadoes rolled through the area, but the exact number of tornadoes had not been determined. The weather service tweeted Saturday that a "strong tornado" was probably moving very close to Chariton. Damage and injuries were also reported in Polk County.
Reynolds said counties could be added to the emergency proclamation, which provides for state resources to assist with response and recovery efforts.
Ayala said Sunday the National Weather Service classified the tornado as an EF-3 — the third most intense tornado classification that can cause "severe damage," according to the weather service. Wind speeds reached between 136 and 165 miles per hour, Ayala said.
Wendy Burkett said she and her husband stepped outside after getting a tornado warning.
"And then we saw it, the tornado," she said. "There was debris flying around, and it was getting louder and louder."
The couple and their children scrambled into their basement. As they lay atop one another, trying to keep from getting blown away, a window shattered, and water spewed from the pipes. It lasted maybe a minute, Burkett said.
Their home was destroyed, but "we didn't have a scratch on us," she said.
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The storm was "the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced," Madison County farmer Jenn O’Neal said.
"Our ears started popping, it sounded like a vacuum,” O'Neal said in an Instagram video that shows the wreckage of barns and other buildings on her farm. “We don’t have anything left except our lives and our house, but I’m grateful for that, and everything else doesn’t matter."
Ayala said the tornado struck at around 4:30 p.m. local time. Four adults were hurt, three with life-threatening injuries, Ayala said.
Stacie Carter said she was on her way to Des Moines with her granddaughter when she got a panicked call from her husband, who told her about the tornado and said she needed to get home as fast as she could.
She said her husband and daughter barely made it to their basement before the wind slammed the door behind him and the walls collapsed.
Despite the devastation, she said she wasn't worried.
"I've lived here all my life," said Carter, who works at Winterset Memorial Hospital. "There were people down here helping us out right away. That's what we do here. That's Iowa people."
Contributing: Grace Altenhofen, Philip Joens and Matthew Bain, Des Moines Register
