Eight killed as tornadoes rake US Midwest

Breaking Earth News
USA
Image:A home sits destroyed by a tornado near Parkersburg, Iowa

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Authorities across the US Midwest braced for the possibility of new deadly tornadoes Monday, after at least eight people were killed when twisters swept through the region over the weekend.

CNN reported that seven people were found dead in the north-central Iowa towns of Parkersburg and New Hartford when a tornado passed at about 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) Sunday.

Marble-sized hail also fell over the town of Waterloo, Iowa where authorities reported significant damage to homes, trees and power lines, the report said.

Iowa Governor Chet Culver declared a state of disaster in three counties. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, a separate twister killed a two-year-old child and seriously injured nine other people in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, CNN said.

Weather watchers said that all told, there were some 160 reports of tornadoes spanning from Texas to Minnesota, and said new twisters were likely, possibly accompanied by hail, damaging wind and downpours.