A deadly tornado that wreaked havoc in the small city of Greenfield, Iowa, left four people dead and nearly three dozen injured, officials said, while a fifth person was killed elsewhere.

The twister that tore through the city on Tuesday was rated at least an EF-3 by the National Weather Service and was so destructive that it took authorities more than a day to account for the area’s residents.

It’s believed that the number of people injured is likely higher, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said.

The fifth person was killed about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Greenfield when her car was blown off the road in a tornado, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Monica Zamarron, 46, died in the crash Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Officials haven’t yet released the names of the other victims.

The severe weather turned south Wednesday. In Texas, officials issued an emergency declaration in Temple, a city of more than 90,000 people north of Austin, after powerful storms ripped through the area. Thousands of residents lost power, schools canceled classes for Thursday and nearby Fort Cavazos reported significant debris blocking traffic at the Army installation.

In Iowa, the Greenfield tornado obliterated homes, splintered trees and crumpled cars in the town of 2,000 about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines. The twister also crumpled massive power-producing wind turbines several miles outside the city.

Greenfield resident Kimberly Ergish and her husband dug through the debris field Wednesday that used to be their home, looking for family photos and other salvageable items. There wasn’t much left, she acknowledged. The reality of having her house destroyed in seconds hasn’t really set in, she said.

“If it weren’t for all the bumps and bruises and the achy bones, I would think that it didn’t happen,” Ergish said.

The deadly twister was spawned during a historic tornado season in the U.S., at a time when climate change is heightening the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.

Through Tuesday, 859 tornadoes had been confirmed this year, 27% more than the U.S. sees on average, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Iowa has so far recorded the most, with 81 confirmed twisters.

On Tuesday alone, the National Weather Service said it received 23 tornado reports, with 21 in Iowa.

Tuesday’s storms also pummeled parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers in the two states.

The National Weather Service said initial surveys indicated at least an EF-3 tornado in Greenfield, but additional damage assessment could lead to a more powerful ranking.

The tornado appeared to have been on the ground for more than 40 miles (64 kilometers), AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. A satellite photo taken by a BlackSky Technology shows where the twister gouged a nearly straight path of destruction through the town, just south of Greenfield’s center square.

“Debris was lifted thousands of feet in the air and ended up falling to the ground several counties away from Greenfield. That’s evidence of just how intense and deadly this tornado was,” Porter said.

People as far as 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from Greenfield posted photos on Facebook of ripped family photos, yearbook pages and other items that were lifted into the sky by the tornado.

About 90 miles (145 kilometers) away, in Ames, Iowa, Nicole Banner found a yellowed page declaring “This Book is the Property of the Greenfield Community School District” stuck to her garage door like a Post-It note after the storm passed.

“We just couldn’t believe it had traveled that far,” she said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said FEMA’s administrator would be in Iowa Thursday and that the White House was in touch with state and local officials. She said they were “praying for those who tragically lost their lives” and wished those injured a “speedy recovery.”

Greenfield’s 25-bed hospital was among the buildings damaged, and at least a dozen people who were hurt had to be taken to facilities elsewhere. Hospital officials said in a Facebook post Wednesday that the hospital will remain closed and that full repairs could take weeks or months. An urgent care clinic was set up at an elementary school with primary care services to start there Thursday, the post said.

Residential streets that on Monday were lined with old-growth trees and neatly-appointed ranch-style homes were a chaotic jumble of splintered and smashed remnants by Wednesday. Many of the homes’ basements where residents sheltered lay exposed and front yards were littered with belongings from furniture to children’s toys and Christmas decorations.

Roseann Freeland waited until the last minute to rush with her husband to a concrete room in her basement. Seconds later, her husband opened the door “and you could just see daylight,” Freeland said. “I just lost it. I just totally lost it.”

Iowa:

A series of devastating tornadoes ravaged western Iowa on Tuesday, resulting in multiple fatalities and widespread destruction in several communities, as severe storms continued to pummel the Midwest, CNN reported.

In the small city of Greenfield, Iowa, located approximately 50 miles southwest of Des Moines, a destructive storm unleashed a tornado shortly before 5 pm, causing extensive damage to numerous homes and structures, Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Sgt Alex Dinkla said.

“We can confirm there have been multiple fatalities with this tornado,” he told a press conference but refrained from providing further details on the casualties.

Residents in Greenfield were also left injured, and a local hospital suffered tornado damage, prompting the transfer of patients to nearby medical facilities, Sgt Dinkla confirmed, according to CNN.

Footage captured by CNN affiliate KCCI depicted the trail of destruction left by the tornado in Greenfield, showcasing decimated homes, flattened structures, heaps of debris, damaged vehicles, and countless uprooted trees.

“There is basically nothing left,” remarked Clel Baudler, a former Iowa state representative residing half a mile from Greenfield, emphasising the tornado’s devastating impact.

Tragically, another storm-related fatality occurred in Adams County, Iowa, approximately 90 miles southwest of Des Moines, as confirmed by county medical examiner Lisa Brown. While Brown was unable to provide additional details on the incident, she attributed the death to a tornado.

The potent line of thunderstorms that swept through the region on Tuesday prompted a rare “potentially dangerous situation” tornado watch for parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, according to the Storm Prediction Center. This special tornado watch is only issued when there is a high level of confidence in the potential for multiple long-lived and EF2 or stronger tornadoes.

In response to the storm outbreak, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds authorized a proclamation of disaster emergency for 15 counties, enabling state resources to aid in response and recovery efforts. Governor Reynolds announced her intention to visit Greenfield on Wednesday morning to assess the damage firsthand, vowing to provide the full support of the state.

As of late Tuesday evening, over 30,000 customers were without power in Iowa, according to Poweroutage.us.

The severe thunderstorm outbreak on Tuesday also posed other serious hazards, including destructive hurricane-strength wind gusts of up to 90 mph and softball-size hail. More than 25 million people across the region were under a Level 3 of 5 or Level 4 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms, according to the SPC.

The largest area of concern for widespread, hazardous impacts centered on much of Iowa, northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsin, and northern Missouri. Major population centers such as Chicago and Milwaukee were also at risk of damaging storms.

The Des Moines International Airport temporarily closed late Tuesday afternoon as dangerous storms approached the area, prompting tornado warnings. Emergency management officials in Montgomery County, Iowa, confirmed the occurrence of “multiple tornadoes” within the county, though no injuries were reported at the time. Damage assessments were underway, with officials working to clear roads for access to affected properties, as reported by CNN.

In addition to tornadoes, flash flooding triggered by heavy rainfall posed a threat for parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, where flood and tornado watches were in effect. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were possible, with some areas expecting up to 5 inches.

Severe storms were forecasted to peak in the Midwest through Tuesday night, with additional severe thunderstorms expected to develop on Wednesday across a 1,500-mile stretch from Texas to western New York. The possibility of damaging winds, hail, and a few tornadoes persisted, with the region bracing for further impact.

The recent onslaught of severe weather across the United States, including the devastating storm in Houston last Thursday, underscored the urgent need for preparedness and resilience in the face of unpredictable natural disasters, CNN reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)