Tornadoes injure at least 10 in northeast Iowa

At least a dozen tornadoes were reported northeast of Waterloo, Iowa, on Thursday

May 12, 2000
Web posted at: 7:44 a.m. EDT (1144 GMT)

DUNKERTON, Iowa (AP) -- Tornadoes have swept through Dunkerton in northeast Iowa, damaging homes, City Hall and a nursing home. At least 10 people were injured, one critically.

The twisters late Thursday cut a swath about 11/2 miles wide from north of the Waterloo airport, through Dunkerton and into Buchanan County, Black Hawk County Sheriff's Deputy Tony Thompson said.

"Fortunately, it did not go through any densely populated areas," he said.

At least a dozen tornadoes were reported by police and storm spotters in the area, the National Weather Service said.

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One woman was injured when a tornado struck her home in Cedar Falls. She was hospitalized in critical condition. Dave Miller of the Iowa Emergency Management Agency said she lost an arm and a hand.

About 150 tenants of a nursing home near Dunkerton were evacuated after its roof was heavily damaged. Up to six suffered minor injuries, Thompson said.

City Hall, which was housed in a temporary doublewide mobile home, was heavily damaged. Debris from the building littered a nearby service station. The old City Hall building was destroyed last May by floods.

"It was just a horrible wind," said Joy Ede, wife of Dunkerton Mayor Richard Ede. "I didn't hear like a train or anything, but it was the worst wind I ever heard."

A car lies smashed by the twister

Police told the Weather Service that a co-op elevator was heavily damaged and a church roof was blown off in Dunkerton, which is 120 miles northeast of Des Moines. A farmhouse was destroyed as were seven outbuildings, and a storm spotter said two houses were destroyed in town.

The storms, which also produced hail and heavy rain, were moving slowly to the east.

In Kansas, a tornado damaged an elementary school and an abandoned church in the northeastern town of Tonganoxie. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Early reports indicated at least 10 businesses and up to 100 homes had some damage.

"It looks like it hit in the center of town and got into some residential areas," said Joy Moser, spokeswoman for the state emergency management office.

The storm moved into Kansas City, where police said a tornado touched down north of downtown. Two automobile dealerships were damaged, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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