Environment

Raw Video: Wide Tornado Cuts Swath Through West Iowa Town

Maplteon, IA (AP) — A large tornado flattened a grain elevator and destroyed homes and buildings on its weekend rampage through the small western Iowa town of Mapleton. Authorities reported no serious injuries.

“It was huge, just huge,” said Thomas Mohrhauser, an attorney in the town of about 1,200 people. “It just kept getting bigger and bigger.”

Mohrhauser said the tornado appeared to be about a quarter-mile wide when it cut a northwest path through town Saturday evening.

National Weather Service meteorologist Van DeWald confirmed that Mapleton, located about 40 miles southeast of Sioux City, received “quite a bit of damage” from the tornado, which hit about 7:20 p.m. Saturday.

Reports indicated the roof was blown off a high school, power lines were downed and several homes and buildings were destroyed. Authorities said three people were treated for minor injuries at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, about 20 miles from Mapleton.

A Monona County Sheriff’s dispatcher said authorities blocked access to Mapleton except to emergency crews because of the heavy damage. The dispatcher, who declined to give her name, wouldn’t give details about injuries.

Frank Boksa, a weather service meteorologist in Johnston, said Gov. Terry Branstad issued a disaster proclamation for Monana County, allowing the state to spend money to respond to the storm.

Boksa said another tornado touched down near the Sac County town of Early, but there appeared to be little damage.

Authorities had no immediate calculation of the intensity of Saturday’s tornado that struck Mapleton.

KCAU-TV in Sioux City showed footage of gutted buildings, debris scattered across roadways and emergency vehicles with sirens flashing as crews searched the damaged and destroyed buildings.

“We‘re going door by door to make sure everybody’s out,” Joe Rodriguez, of Sioux City’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, told KCAU-TV.

Monana County is in the same region of western Iowa where four Boy Scouts died in a tornado that struck a scouting ranch in June 2008. The National Weather Service said the tornado that hit the 1,800-acre Little Sioux Scout Ranch in the Loess Hills was an EF3 tornado on the 1-to-5 Enhanced Fujita scale of intensity with an estimated wind speed of 145 mph.

Comments (35)

  • wardfamilyof6
    Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:20pm

    I am from Lawton – 10 miles east of Sioux City – pretty scary that they are having these storms this time of the year! Another reason that I live in a safer area of the country- no snow and no tornadoes!

    Report Post »  
  • TheAmericanRifleman
    Posted on April 11, 2011 at 9:08am

    Brought to you by ITN?

    Report Post » TheAmericanRifleman  
  • BBomber66
    Posted on April 11, 2011 at 3:56am

    To AZDEBI:

    My father visited the Yucatan pennisula many years ago and told stories of the local indians not picking up money because they had not earned it. It is a good policy. Apparently the Japanese have similar teachings. Hooray for honesty wherever in the world it appears,.

    Report Post » BBomber66  
  • Miss_E
    Posted on April 11, 2011 at 3:50am

    Spring in Iowa!!!

    Just a couple of weeks ago I watched another big tornado rip up a large swath of Madison County, no bridges were harmed, it was about a mile South of me. They are impressive but if you know the right weather conditions and can hear your weather radio it’s easy to stay safe. I’ll take an occasion tornado and live here than anywhere else in the world, I traveled the world in the Marines been through several typhoons too. Now those are exciting!

    The best story out of the Mapleton is on http://www.WHOtv.com watch the Precious Purple Heart found, I cried like a baby during the news watching that story.

    Decorah is all the way across the state from the tornado, I like watching that video feed. It lets me know what the Bald Eagle‘s in the pasture are doing since mine don’t have a fancy web feed.

    Report Post » Miss_E  
    • smalltowngal
      Posted on April 11, 2011 at 5:02pm

      Thank you for leaving this post and link. I grew-up in Mapleton. I graduated from high school there. It is a beautiful little town, and I have felt so sad to see so much damage done. I now live out of state, but caught this on the national news yesterday. Have been looking up different reports on it, but I agree, this was one of the most touching. Am so grateful no one was seriously injured. I will keep Mapleton in my prayers, and know the town, though never the same, will rebuild and be stronger for it.

      Report Post »  
  • anutter
    Posted on April 11, 2011 at 1:16am

    It‘s too bad that a twister wouldn’t just drop down on Al Gore’s house, sending him off to Oz. But then again, Oz already has one scarecrow without a brain.

    Report Post »  
  • Ricky A. Patriotson
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 4:52pm

    It’s all the fault of George Bush, ask any lib. or dem. they will tell you so.

    Report Post » Ricky A. Patriotson  
  • vennoye
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 4:25pm

    Am just glad that injuries were minor and no deaths reported!!

    Report Post » vennoye  
  • Insanityrules
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 3:30pm

    It was a nasty storm here in Sioux City but it divided and went above and below us. It sure was a light show. Hail was as big as hardballs in some places.

    Report Post »  
  • Dennisgl
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 2:45pm

    As a amateur storm chaser here in Neb I would have to say that if I had never went chasing them I would not have ever seen one. I have lived in tornado ally for 40 years but none of them have ever been were I was at. Ive seen 8 tornados since 2004 the first being the devastating Hallam storm that was rated as the widest tornado ever at 2 1/2 miles wide. While they are the fastest winds on earth and can do massive destruction they are fairly rare and usually cover only a very small area.

    Report Post » Dennisgl  
  • btycrkr
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 2:05pm

    I live in Wisconsin, and we are the target zone today. I was born in Iowa, and am always nervous during storm outbreaks. Praying for a miss!

    Report Post »  
  • CitizenUS
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 1:12pm

    Live in Nebraska, near a river and bluff. We still get warnings, but no hits. Sad to hear about, but usually when one hits close, it also hits close to home as you usually know someone involved. But would take the tornados and warnings over the hurricanes, etc.

    Report Post » CitizenUS  
  • LOSTAGAIN
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:48pm

    I’m glad I live in Washington state. The only thing we have is earthquakes and volcanoes to worry about and the other natural disaster being an over abundance of liberals.

    Report Post »  
  • Showtime
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:27pm

    @Suygarman ~
    Go look in the mirror if you’re so impressed with yourself. You can even start without someone.

    One more time, Viagra-kid, and everyone here will REPORT YOU.

    Report Post » Showtime  
  • APatriotFirst
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:51am

    Take your singles club ad to Media matters or Huffpo, you will get better reception there.

    Report Post »  
  • Hephzibah
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:18am

    I’ve never heard a tornado described with a British accent before. Globalism, coming to a silo near you.

    Report Post » Hephzibah  
  • ares338
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:12am

    We that live in Texas understand this phenomenon all to well. Where I live in Paris, a tornado killed 13 in 1981.

    Report Post » ares338  
    • teachermitch32
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:26am

      If they can, somehow, control weather someday they should direct tornadoes along the already decimated border swath. Perhaps one tornado every 24 hours or so? Might be cheaper than a fence and border guards.

      Report Post »  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:34am

      I was in the tornado years ago that wiped half of Lubbock Tx off the map – it took me years to get over the post traumatic stress syndrome that I developed because if it. I have lived in Texas most of my life and tornadoes were just a fact of life until the Lubbock one and it just totally screwed me up. I still get uptight when we are under a tornado watch! http://maboulette.wordpress.com

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • Rayblue
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:55pm

      Hi Ares. I was born and raised in Sherman. Right down the road from you.
      Yes, tornados are a fact of life around those parts. I remember quite a few. Here’s a sad fact;
      In 1896, an F5 tornado hit Sherman and killed 73 people. Through the years I surveyed the country south of Sherman and found the remains of houses that had been hit. I found a small wooden, coffin shaped box that contained 13 daguerreotypes of the family that used to live there. It also contained a short prayer for the missing members of the family and a description of the tragedy. I only have one tintype left as the others were stolen. It all made me realize how fortunate we were.
      Nice to hear from someone in Paris, Ares. Take care…….

      Report Post » Rayblue  
  • parkerbilt
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:51am

    I live in Iowa, and wow, a tornado in Iowa in the spring. Has to be global warming. Hey Iowa State’s athletics are cyclones. Must be a coincedence.

    Report Post »  
    • Untameable-kate
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:13am

      I thought very seriously about moving to the midwest to escape all these illegal Mexicans, but that tornado thing really makes me nervous. You can scare off a Mexican, not much you can do to shoo away a tornado.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • APatriotFirst
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:47am

      As a former Iowan here, we are used to tornados. Big and small ones. Move to NC and guess what hit yestrday………yepper, a tornado. Can’t seem to get away from them.

      Report Post »  
    • BarCalliyon
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:54am

      Living near where this happened it always amazes me how us Iowans react to this. We help our neighbors rebuild and move on. And Kate, at least we get forwarning of tornados vs no warning of illegals.

      Report Post »  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:48am

    One thing NOAA is definitely good for.

    Report Post » Stoic one  
    • theonefromabove
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:22am

      Wow that was amazing.

      http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos

      Report Post »  
    • crackerone
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:13pm

      @SUGARMAN

      Seriously?

      Report Post »  
    • Showtime
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:16pm

      @Sugarman ~
      Puh-leeze! I get emails from “Hot Latin dates,“ ”Hot Asian dates,” hot this and hot that, plus I get half a screen of pictures of those available in my town. I even get ads for hot WOMEN! Don’t throw more of it in my face here at The Blaze, okay?

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • ItsintheBible
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:48pm

      Did you see the EYE towards the end of the clip? Is that a reflection of someone while filming?

      Report Post »  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 1:30pm

      I am sorry for the people in Mapleton…but…I am relieved that the eagles in Decorah, Iowa are safe…I know, to some of you, you may think this is stupid…but, having watched them over the past week I’ve grown fond of them and totally amazed at their dedication to each other and their eaglets…(the last egg hatched and that makes 3)…

      http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

      AzDebi  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 1:40pm

      Off topic…The Japanese people are amazing! God Bless Them All and help them in all their struggles…

      Tokyo (CNN) — A tsunami that followed a massive earthquake last month may have destroyed some of Japan’s structures, but police say the honest practice of turning in lost items, especially cash, remains intact.

      Residents have turned in lost cash across the tsunami zone at a much higher rate than usual, the Miyagi Prefectural Police Department tells CNN.

      A police spokesman, who asked not to be identified, citing department policy, said he could not specify how much cash has been turned in to lost-and-found offices at police stations. But, he said, of the 24 police stations across Miyagi Prefecture, nine of them are on the Pacific coastline.

      Between March 12, the day following the earthquake and tsunami, and March 31, those nine police stations collected 10 times the amount of lost cash collected at the other 15 stations combined.

      Japanese children, from a young age, are taught to turn in any lost items, including cash, to police stations. The cultural practice of returning lost items and never keeping what belongs to a stranger has meant police departments like Tokyo’s Metropolitan have an entire warehouse filled with lost shoes, umbrellas and wallets.

      In the tsunami zone, where personal items lie amid miles of rubble, it’s meant that lost valuables have often gone directly to police, rather than the pocket of the finder.

      The lost cash hasn’t been easy to handle, the Miyagi Prefectural Police Department says. Money found along with some identification is being returned, but officers have been able to return only 10% of the cash.

      Cash that wasn’t in a wallet is left unclaimed at the police station. After three months, the person who turned in the cash is able to collect that lost money. But police say people are already waiving their rights to claim the cash when they turn it in.

      Unclaimed cash will eventually be sent to the Miyagi Prefectural Government, though police say they do not know how it will be used.

      Also found: Hundreds of safes that can’t be opened. If the prefectural government allocates funding for opening the safes, police will start doing so.

      Prefectural police believe that these safes could contain not only currency, but bank books, stocks and land deeds, which could give a huge boost to the amount of lost money.

      Report Post » AzDebi  
    • Conservative New Yorker
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 2:17pm

      AZDEBI- well if you’re weird, count me in too! I’ve been watching them for the last week. I know I need some reprieve from all this craziness in the world and here in the US. Helps keep me sane. TC!

      Report Post »  
    • Ditto Head
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 3:26pm

      Like I always say, the best thing that ever came out of Iowa is I-35.

      Report Post » Ditto Head  
    • Scott
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 4:14pm

      It is more important now to be self supporting than ever. Start storing food today for your family and neighbors. We get ours from http://www.tasteita.tmyefoods.com They will let you try the food for FREE, just pay shipping. Plus, with their acts of kindness program you can earn free, storable food. Four months ago I would have only been able to feed my family for 11 days had something bad happened. Today I have over 2 years worth, go check it out!

      Report Post »  
    • herky61
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:08pm

      Add your comments

      Report Post »  

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