Damage assessment teams with the National Weather Service are in far northwest Iowa today after a cluster of tornadoes struck the area last night. Lyon County Emergency Management Director Wayne Jepsen says the worst damage in his county happened on two farmsteads near Inwood.
"As I understand it, there’s minor damage to these farmsteads…some minor damage to the farm homes, but most of it was outbuildings that were damaged," Jepsen said. The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls reported at least eight tornadoes in the area.
Jepsen says it was a busy night across Lyon County. He says tornado sirens were activated in every community in the county, with the exception of Larchwood. Areas of Sioux County also have minor damage. Jake Anderson is the Sioux County Emergency Management Director.
"The tornadoes, for the most part, stayed in the wide open areas. There were a few farmsteads that were damaged rather significantly, but that was limited to the outbuildings and I don’t suspect there will be a lot of uninsured losses," Anderson said. The Sioux County Sheriff’s office reported a rural home near Rock Valley had it’s windows knocked out. There have been no reports of injuries from last night’s storms in northwest Iowa.
The biggest storm damage in the midwest occurred in and around Kansas City, Missouri. A powerful storm, packing 80 mile per hour winds, hit early this morning – blasting homes and businesses and knocking over trees and power lines.