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4 p.m. Tuesday
• Towline Street is now open from Lincoln Street to the east.
• Creston residents: Paul Ver Meer, Creston police chief, said there have been fly-by contractors in the area and advises to please check the registered contractor's list before allowing anyone to do repairs to your home.
See the CNA facebook page for a two-page list of registered contractors or call 782-2000 ext. 1. If you are a contractor and want your name on the list also call the city at 782-2000 ext. 1 and give your company's name and phone number to Nancy.
• Townline Street will be open and classes will resume Wednesday at Southwestern Community College.
11:30 a.m. Tuesday
• The Rural Iowa Crisis Center is opening their resource center to anyone affected by the recent tornado in Creston. Our resource center contains clothing of all sizes, shoes, household items (dishes, sheets, blankets, glasses, etc.) and personal care items (deodorant, tooth paste, tooth brushes, shampoo, conditioner, etc.) We also have a storage unit with some furniture items.
Please call 1-888-782-6632 from weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. if you are in need of any of those items.
• We just received a call from the Food Pantry/Union County Family Development Center, 300 East Montgomery, and they are in need of the following items.
Toilet Paper
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Laundry detergent
Shampoo
• Donations can be sent to Disaster Relief Fun C/O ISSB P.O. Box 109 Creston, Iowa 50801
• Attention Creston residents: Paul Ver Meer, Creston police chief, said there have been fly-by contractors in the area and advises to please check the registered contractor's list at city hall (782-2000 ext. 3) before letting anyone do repairs on your home.
If you are a contractor, please call the city at 782-2000 ext. 3 and give your company's name and phone number to Nancy.
We will have a full list of registered contractors for you as soon as we can.
• SWCC update: A meeting will be held in 30 minutes to decide whether classes at Southwestern Community College will resume Wednesday.
"It looks like a go right now," Thompson said, "but we will have a meeting soon to make it official."
Thompson said 54 students stayed in the Super 8 motel last night and some students may stay there again Tuesday evening. Thompson said Super 8 receives a "gold st ... ar" for their help since Saturday.
"They've made our job a lot easier," Thompson said.
Thompson said right now Creston community members have really stepped up and have opened their homes up to students. Equally, Thompson said, students have been understanding of this challenging situation and have been willing to stay in motels and other people's homes.
Thompson said some students will be moving back into Wilson Hall this evening.
8 a.m. Tuesday
• For Volunteer Information/Request today call 782-2000 ext. 2.
• Creston Prom is still on for Saturday. However, Jeff Bevins, CHS activities director, said the prom shed collapsed in the tornado and several items were damaged. Bevins said the items in the prom shed included game tables and equipment for after-prom activities.
Also, CHS school board said they are still in discussions with department heads to determine if the two days missed because of the tornado will be made up at the end of the year. School will resume Wednesday. However, students will be dismissed two-hours early for a previously scheduled professional development session.
• All power has been restored to Creston High School and Creston Elementary.
5 p.m. Monday
Justin Foss with Alliant Energy said they are hoping to restore power to all but 50 customers in Creston by the end of today. Crews have put up more than 35 new poles and four miles of power lines since the tornado struck.
Foss says their goal is to have all power restored in Creston by Wednesday with the exception of houses have been damaged and need an inspection by a licensed electrician. For questions, call 1-800-Alliant.
4 p.m. Monday
Classes at Creston School District are canceled for Tuesday. Classes will resume Wednesday. However, students will be dismissed two-hours early for a previously scheduled professional development session.
From YMCA staff member Raquel Linch: The Southern Prairie YMCA will be closed all week. We have a lot of water damage. Its a mess. I will post updates on the Y Facebook page.
2 p.m. Monday
A press conference was held 1 p.m. Monday afternoon. Here are the updates from that press conference.
There werew 14 single-family homes and 16 multi-family units with major damage or destroyed in Creston by Saturday's EF2 tornado. Two homes were destroyed in rural Union County north of Creston. Meanwhile, 40 homes in Creston and rural Union County with minor damage.
Alliant has reduced the number of people without power from 4,000 on Sunday to less than 600 this morning.
11 a.m. Monday
The look on Gov. Terry Branstad's face said it all — shock.
Shock that a hospital, community college, people's homes and lives could be destroyed in mere seconds.
But most of all, it was shock on how a town that didn't receive any tornado warnings could withstand the intense devastation of an EF2 tornado without having any fatalities.
"You can replace property, you can't replace lives," said Monte Neitzel, chief-executive officer of Greater Regional Medical Center, to Branstad during a tour of the medical center Sunday afternoon.
EF2
The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday a strong EF2 tornado hit Creston at approximately 7:05 p.m. Saturday with peak winds estimated at 130 miles per hour. The average path width was 600 yards.
The tornado began about one and a-half miles east of Cromwell and tracked northeast through the far northwest portion of Creston.
Southwestern Community College and GRMC received major damage with the worst damage occurring to Green Hills Area Education Agency building. The tornado continued tracking northeast and damaged farmsteads. It dissipated 10 miles northeast of Creston.
Law enforcement officials were waiting Saturday night to see if the National Weather Service and weather spotters would issue a tornado warning for Creston, when the tornado struck.
The first call Creston Police Chief Paul Ver Meer got was the tornado had already hit the hospital.
Injuries
According to Mayor Warren Woods who attended an emergency-management meeting Sunday night, three people were transported to Des Moines in critical condition. As of the last condition report, one is still critical, one upgraded to serious and one upgraded to good.
Branstad declared Union County an emergency-disaster area Saturday night and held a press conference 1 p.m. Sunday at GRMC. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds was also in attendance with Branstad.
They took a tour of the hospital facility, which had just received new construction and renovation. The medical center received structural, water and window damage from the immense power of the storm.
An open house was to be scheduled April 29 to celebrate completion of the new birthing center, surgery center, patient care floor renovations and therapy pool in the rehabilitation services department.
However, mother nature had other plans for Greater Regional.
No damage estimates were available at this time.
All of Greater Regional's inpatients, which included eight patients, one obstetrics patient and one baby, were transferred Saturday night to Alegent Health in Corning.
Lou Ann Snodgrass, executive director, continuum of care, said Greater Regional's hospice home was hit and five patients were transferred to local nursing facilities. Crest Ridge Estates also received damage.
There is no specific time line on moving patients back into GRMC.
"We're really proud of the way people have responded," Branstad said.
Damage
Many houses, condos and apartments, especially along Townline Street, sustained damage from the tornado. Several were reported completely destroyed.
Southwestern Community College, its dormitories, Southern Prairie YMCA, Green Hills Area Education Agency sustained damage.
There was structural damage at the elementary, middle and high schools in Creston. The school district's bus barn also had major damage.
Branstad also viewed the destruction along Townline Street. He talked to school officials, as well as students who were displaced from their dormitories.
According to Matt Thompson, dean of student services at SWCC, Spartan Hall, Spartan Suites and West Hall took the brunt of the damage from the twister.
He said the college was fortunate the tornado happened on a weekend because there are fewer students and faculty on campus.
There were no damage estimates as of Sunday afternoon at SWCC, but Thompson said insurance adjusters were going through the campus' damage to determine the amount.
There were 169 students living in SWCC residence halls. Thompson said they have moved students into hotels in Creston, and he sees them living there for the remainder of the semester.
Classes
Classes are canceled at least today and tomorrow at SWCC. A decision for Wednesday classes will be made Tuesday afternoon.
"We're hoping that we'll be able to move forward, but the next couple of days are going to be telling as to where we are," Thompson said.
Classes for Creston School District are also canceled for today.
According to Roy Stroud, business manager for Creston School Board, a decision for Tuesday classes hadn't been decided as of this morning.
"It's iffy at best," he said.
The determination factor is restoring power to the school buildings for Creston School District. The only school building that has power is the Early Childhood Center (ECC).
Questions from the public may be directed to 641-782-1701.
According to Thompson, the community college and public are trying to take the disaster in stride.
"This is a tremendous shock to the whole community, and I think it takes a little bit of time for people to realize what's happened," he said. "Our students have reacted well. They have cooperated with us for the most part in staying away from the facilities as we've asked them to. This is southwest Iowa, people take care of each other and that's what we're going to continue to do here."
9:00 a.m. Monday
• This from Mayor Warren Woods Sunday night: I just came from our evening Emergency Management meeting. To bring you up to date - there were three people transported to Des Moines in critical condition. As of the last report 1 is still critical, 1 upgraded to serious, and 1 upgraded to good - there have been no deaths because of the storm.
Townline street will be open tonight east to west, but no crossing betw ... een Cottonwood and Cherry due to power lines down and not to be run over.
The Red Cross has an emergency shelter at SWCC, I believe that you have to go to the far north entrance then to the gym.
Tomorrow Townline will again be closed (from Elm to Cottonwood) until they get the power, cable, and phone lines up and activated. They believe that will be sometime Monday Afternoon.
Cherry street is still closed, north of Townline, I understand that CIPCO has crews working tonight on those lines. Everyone needs to stay out of the affected areas overnight because of all of the debris.
If you want to volunteer and don't know where, call 641-782-2447 after 8 am tomorrow and they will try to match you up with someone in need of assistance, or just go to the restored depot mealsite after 8 am and someone will be there to help you.
If you have questions about anything call 641-782-1701 between 8 & 5 tomorrow. I apologize for not getting information posted sooner, but it has been a busy time. Any regularly scheduled Dr's appointments at the Hospital or Clinic are canceled. Lt. Gov Reynolds, Governor Branstad and Congressman Steve King send there regards and offers of help where they can.
• Sorry the special edition sold out so fast. We have delivered more to the stores and racks at all four Casey's, both Kum & Go, Wal-Mart, HyVee, Windrow Restaurant, McDonalds, Dollar General, Bunn-O-Matic, Regency Apartments, Union County Curthouse, Dairy Queen and the Creston news Advertiser drive-up, front rack and office.
4:30 p.m. Sunday (update)
• National Weather Service confirming today at about 4 p.m. the tornado that hit Creston was a strong EF2 tornado with peak winds estimated at 130 miles per hour. Average path width was 600 yard.
The tornado began about one and a half miles east of Cromwell and tracked northeast through the far northwest portion of Creston. SWCC and GRMC received EF2 damages with the worst damage occuring to Green Hills AEA. The tornado continued tracking northeast and damaged farmsteads. The tornado dissipated 10 miles northeast of Creston.
• Gov. Terry Branstad was at the 1 p.m. news conference in Creston and took a tour of Greater Regional Medical Center and Southwestern Community College to assess the damage. There was extensive damage to the administration wing of GRMC, the patient wing roof was torn off, but all electronic records are secure. GRMC CEO Monte Neitzel: "You can replace property, you can't replace lives."
• This just on the scanner: Townline Road, from Elm to Cottonwood, will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Pat Schlapia, Creston boys track coach, said hurdles that were set up at the high school track were found this morning on North Cherry Street.
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12 p.m. Sunday (Informational story from Special Edition)
The sirens never went off.
"We didn't receive any warning," said Creston Police Chief Paul Ver Meer. "The first call came in that the hospital's been hit when the tornado was on the ground."
A tornado touched down on the northwest side of Creston at approximately 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
People were in a disarray all across the north side of town and power lines were littered across numerous streets. Trees and light poles were snapped in half by the immense power of the storm.
There was extensive damage reported to buildings and homes.
Gov. Branstad declared Union County an emergency area Saturday night. It is likely the county will receive disaster declarations.
Law enforcement officials were waiting Saturday night to see if the National Weather Service and weather spotters would issue a tornado warning for Creston, when the tornado struck.
During a press conference at the Union County Law Enforcement Center Sunday morning, Ver Meer said there were no fatalities he was aware of. Nobody was reported missing to law enforcement.
Touch down
The tornado touched down on Dogwood Avenue and continued east.
Greater Regional Medical Center (GRMC) received a direct hit by the tornado.
"To our knowledge, we had just minimal or minor injuries for those who were presented to the medical center," said LouAnn Snodgrass, executive director, continuum of care at GRMC. "Of course, getting to the medical center was difficult, so there may be others who transferred themselves or just drove themselves to another facility to be checked out."
All of Greater Regional's inpatients, which included eight patients, one obstetrics patient and one baby, were transferred to Alegent Health in Corning.
Snodgrass said GRMC's hospice home was hit and five patients were transferred to local nursing facilities.
Damage
The medical center had structural, water and window damage.
Crest Ridge Estates also had damage, and Snodgrass said people there were safe but without power.
"At this time, the structural damage needs to be assessed before we offer any operations out at the medical center," she said. "There is structural damage that we have folks on site evaluating at this moment, and deciding when it's going to be safe and secure. We'll announce that as we have more information."
There is no specific time line on moving patients back into GRMC.
Many houses, condos and apartments, especially along Townline Street sustained damage from the tornado. Several were reported completely destroyed.
Southwestern Community College, SWCC dormitories, Southern Prairie YMCA, Green Hills Area Education Agency sustained damage.
There was structural damage at the elementary, middle and high schools in Creston. The school district's bus barn also had major damage.
Ver Meer said he didn't have an exact amount of people who had been displaced from their homes.
Shelters are set up at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sumner Avenue for the public and SWCC for community-college students.
There was no damage estimate at this time. National Weather Service is in Creston today to assess the damage.
"I drove around, it's going to be high," said Ver Meer, "because the hospital has no idea what their damage is."
Schools
School is canceled Monday and Tuesday at Southwestern Community College. Creston Community School District has canceled classes for Monday.
According to Roy Stroud, Creston School board business manager, there is no power in any of Creston Community School District buildings.
A major portion of the roof was blown off Creston Middle School and crews are currently trying to make repairs.
Serious damage to the school's bus barn and score board was reported. A set of bleachers at the high-school's football stadium was thrown onto the field by the tornado.
Fences and lights at the field were also knocked down by debris.
"We've got a lot of damage," Stroud said.
No power
The majority of Creston was without power Saturday night and into today.
"I think it's going to be awhile," Ver Meer said. "The power lines are just knocked over like sticks."
As of today, most of Townline Street is without power.
Cable crews and Alliant Energy are in town, and Ver Meer said more crews from across the state are coming to Creston to help get power restored.
Gas leaks were also reported Saturday night.
"I checked with Alliant," Ver Meer said. "They have no idea how many people are without power."
There is a public-information line at 641-782-1701.
Law enforcement is barricading the north side of Creston today. Ver Meer said they have barricaded Cottonwood Street to Prairie Street and Prairie Street to Sumner Avenue, additional areas may be barricaded.
"Basically, we're going to shut that off so fire and EMS (emergency-management services) can get in there and do a thorough search of residences, apartments, the dorms, just to make sure we didn't miss anybody last night," he said.
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Saturday
• A tornado that hit Creston Saturday evening about 7 p.m. has caused significant damage to the city including major damage to Greater Regional Medical Center. GRMC medical staff was called to the hospital last night.
• John Coulter, Afton police chief, reports three serious injuries and numerous minor injuries.
• Patients have been transported to Corning and Osceola hospitals.
• A temporary hospital has been set up at Southwestern Community College. CNA staff reports AEA, Southwestern dorms and Creston Middle School all received major damage.
• Governor Terry Branstad has declared Union and Fremont counties emergency areas and Iowa Health and Mercy have sent staff to the Creston area.
• Roads are blocked off at Henry A Wallace Road, Kessler Curve, Highway 25 at Prairie St.
• Three churches — Salem Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran Church and Methodist Church — are offering shelter to those displaced by storm.
• The Creston News Advertiser staff will have a four-page special section including tornado photos and story available for purchase in racks starting at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Click on the Photo tab above to see more photos of storm damage.