ONE YEAR LATER

The sights and sounds of Greenfield and Adair County changed in an instant May 21, 2024, when an EF-4 tornado struck the area. Four lives were lost in Greenfield: Dean and Pam Wiggins, Michael Jensen and Lee Williamson.

The sounds of disaster may have temporarily taken over after the tornado, kind words of helping hands quickly filled the air in the days to follow. Chainsaws buzzed throughout the community. Churches stepped in, serving meals for volunteers cleaning up and providing much-needed items to those who all of a sudden had very little because of the storm.

Emergency responders were heroes in the beginning and remain so. They responded to the community’s needs in their darkest time. They and others were recognized in a community gathering on the Adair County Courthouse lawn one week after the tornado.

Wayne and Ruth Henderson’s home on SW Second Street was one of hundreds that were either damaged beyond repair or destroyed in the tornado. They were taking shelter underneath their front porch when the tornado struck. A piece that was completely untouched was a dollhouse Ruth and her granddaughter, Vanessa, had been working on. One year later, the Hendersons are getting closer and closer to moving into their new home on the same site.

“They’re starting to prime the walls for painting on the inside. As for my reflection on the summer, I tried hard not to dwell on what happened, and I spent a lot of time studying the blueprint of the new house to make it the way we wanted it to be,” Ruth said. “We have spent so much time watching the new house go up and being there that it already seems like home. I loved the beauty of the big, old house but we are now in a new chapter of our lives together. I will miss my flowers though.”

Many elected officials were here observing tornado recovery in the days after. A Greenfield resident, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen is a mural artist and state representative who was in town immediately after the tornado. He remembers how bad it was in the beginning but is hopeful because of the progress the area has already made. He also toured farmsteads when Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig visited here in March.

“When the tornado hit, my first thought was heartbreak, wondering who was hurt, what was lost and how we’d even begin to recover. It felt like the kind of devastation that could take years to overcome,” Sorensen said. “But one year later, I look around and see something stronger than the storm: the spirit of Greenfield. Neighbors became family, strangers became heroes, and out of the wreckage, not just homes were being built – but hope. I’m incredibly proud of this community. We’ve honored those we lost by continuing to live with purpose and grit, and we’re proving that small town Iowa doesn’t just endure — it rises.”

Greenfield’s fire station was damaged beyond repair in the tornado and is poised to soon be rebuilt where it was before. Adair County Health System also sprang into action after the tornado despite having a facility that was damaged beyond being able to be used. ACHS moved into the elementary school for the summer and reopened at their own facility in the fall, making a brisk and costly comeback.

ACHS is scheduled to hold a ceremonial groundbreaking of their EMS facility Thursday which is already being rebuilt in its former location, across the street north of the hospital.

“ACHS is honored to be a part of the greater Greenfield community and is deeply proud of the collective efforts made alongside the town to rebuild and emerge stronger than ever. ACHS has been here since the moment the tornado struck, and the memories of that day remain vivid in our minds each day. Our immediate priority was providing care in the aftermath of the tornado,” ACHS Chief Clinical Officer Philicia Hancock said. “Soon after, we began to restore hospital operations so we could fully serve the patients of Greenfield and the greater Adair County area. Throughout the tornado and its aftermath, our dedicated EMS team never wavered — they continued delivering critical care across the region without interruption. Now, we’re focusing on the next step: rebuilding the EMS house that was destroyed in the storm. We’re hopeful to have that completed by Dec. 2, 2025. Once finished, it will return our EMS team to their home base across the street from the hospital, with space to house our ambulances as well.”

A few days after the tornado, Greenfield Mayor Jimmie Schultz said he never would have thought such a disaster would hit Greenfield, where he has lived his entire life. He said the community would succeed successfully if it stuck together. A year later, he looks around and says there have been a lot of good things that have happened from a very hard time.

“We’re still strong, and it’s that togetherness that has gotten us to this point. The Methodist church served lunch for some of the volunteers the other day who helped in the beginning and are back now and again to help. They commented how even though they’re coming to help us, we’ve helped them in return. We’re thankful they’re coming and are helping yet,” Schultz said. “We have come a long way in one year. I expected we’d bounce back and I think we’re doing good. We’re still working together toward the same goal. We can’t snap our fingers and have everything fixed. It takes time.”