Gov. Reynolds visits Greenfield; tornado aftermath

Governor Kim Reynolds is praising the resiliency and resolve of the people of Greenfield and Adair County following the fatal tornado that struck the area Tuesday. She made her comments, also releasing new information, during a Wednesday morning news conference at the Greenfield Iowa Department Of Transportation Shed.

Officials said Wednesday evening there are four fatalities. Names were not released.

While volunteers are appreciated from outside areas, they’re asked to stay away, at least for Wednesday. Only authorized personnel or residents of Greenfield are being let into the community. A curfew was in effect for the town from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.

A disaster proclamation, making available individual assistance and quicker access to state resources, was made Tuesday night. A waiver has been granted for area schools if they are not able to finish the school year because of the storm.

State officials are also working to expedite a presidential disaster declaration. There are statistics needed for that process, and officials are hoping by Thursday they’ll have those ready. That can lead to small businesses and the agricultural sector getting assistance, as well as local residents.

“All of that is in the works,” Reynolds said. “Fortunately we have a lot of FEMA personnel on the ground, so hopefully we can streamline that process.”

Reynolds said she has heard of residents impacted who are in good spirits despite devastating circumstances.

Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Jeremy Cooper said emergency responders came from as far as at least two hours away to help.

State Representative Ray “Bubba” Sorensen was in Greenfield shortly after the tornado hit and credited the people of the community for having “incredible commonsense.”

“People were already getting to work,” he said. “To everybody that brought a skid loader, thank you. That was a way to clear the streets and make it safe for emergency personnel.”

Sorensen talked about incident command at Greenfield Lumber working well as people became “makeshift ambulances,” carrying people to help if they needed it immediately following the tornado.

“I told the governor that I wished she would’ve been here last night because we’ve already done so well,” Sorensen said.

Many areas southwest of Greenfield and south of Fontanelle have also been impacted. Farmers in that area have reached out to say that entire farmsteads.

It has not been a month since Minden in Pottawattamie County and areas of neighboring Shelby County were hit by a tornado.

“They continue to walk through that,” Reynolds said. “It’s been incredible: the response, the volunteers, the community, the outpouring of help.”

The National Weather Service announced midday Wednesday their preliminary rating for the Greenfield tornado is EF-3, with winds of 135-165 mph.

Debris in the form of paperwork was lofted 40,000 feet into the atmosphere and landed as far as 90 miles away. Checks and other items from Greenfield were discovered near Ames and Boone, KJAN Radio reported.

Despite damage to the hospital, Adair County Health Systems’ providers and nurses continued to care for and evacuate patients as well as support co-workers who had injured loved ones and homes lost.

The hospital will be closed for the next week as Graham Construction is currently securing the property. Further assessments will be completed in the next 48 hours. It is likely to take weeks, if not months, to fully repair the damage. In the meantime, ACHS remains committed to continuing to provide care to their community.

For Immediate Care:

• ACHS has an emergency unit out at the Nodaway Valley High School. This is for patients with immediate needs. They will be transitioning this to perform as an urgent care clinic in the Nodaway Valley Elementary School.

• The MercyOne Mobile Unit is in the Nodaway Valley High School South parking lot for the rest of the week.

For minor injuries:

• The ACHS Stuart Clinic is taking walk-ins.

For shelter:

• There are a few areas for shelter for community members who lost their homes. There is the Catholic church, Cornerstone Fellowship Church and the Nodaway Valley High School.

If patients are needed a medication refill, please first contact your pharmacy. Adair County Health System can continue to be contacted at 641-743-6189.

If you are looking for a missing person or loved one, please call 712-732-1341.

“We know we can anticipate great support from the Governor and the state of Iowa, as well as MercyOne, and we thank our nearby communities for helping us shoulder this tragedy. We urge residents to prioritize their safety and follow guidance from local authorities,” hospital officials said. “Please stay tuned to official channels for updates and instructions. Our community is resilient, and together we will rebuild and recover from this tragedy.