Gloria McAllister(DES MOINES, Iowa) — Tornadoes have touched down in central Iowa, displacing families and causing destruction across multiple counties.
A number of people have been injured and sent to the hospital, Lt. Shane Cox of the Pella Police Department told ABC News. The extent of the injuries is unknown at this time.
The city of Marshalltown has declared a state of emergency, the city told ABC News.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning this afternoon for eastern Marshall County and southwestern Tama County.
At 4:37 p.m. local time, a “large and destructive” tornado was observed over Marshalltown, about 50 miles from Des Moines, moving at an estimated 25 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
A large tornado was also reported on the ground in Bondurant in Polk County. Emergency services are on scene.
Several homes suffered damage, including roofs blown off and numerous gas leaks, Lt. Rick Blaylock of the Polk County Sheriff’s Department told ABC News.
About 14,000 customers are without power in Iowa as a result of the weather, according to outage maps for Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy.
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