Anyone in NE Iowa?
- Thread starter wartknight
- Start date
KWWL in Waterloo just had an update. The mayor of Parkersburg, pop. 1900, about one third of the town is demolished including some businesses. Of the 5 reported dead, all were in their basements and died when the house fell in on them. The mayor said the town had plenty of warning ahead of time. It just was so severe. They have plenty of help presently and authorities are going down each street, searching debris, and marking each lot to make sure there is no one left. Later they will probably let volunteers help, but is too dangerour yet.
I just heard that some dirtbags were actually looting places in Parkersburg. That's pretty low. That should be a chalk-outline worthy offense.
I think looting is just a rumor. They have all the entrances to the town manned and only letting those authorized in through one entrance, Hway 14 from the south. There plenty of firemen, police, utility people, national guard, etc. there. I don't have first hand knowledge, just from TV reports.
From the DMR:
Residents of Parkersburg are being allowed inside. Officers are checking driver’s licenses and are keeping a log of everyone coming in. Capt. Curt Henderson with Iowa State Patrol said the only route officials are allowing incoming traffic through is from Iowa Highway 14.
Apparently there was some looting Sunday night, state troopers said.
Residents of Parkersburg are being allowed inside. Officers are checking driver’s licenses and are keeping a log of everyone coming in. Capt. Curt Henderson with Iowa State Patrol said the only route officials are allowing incoming traffic through is from Iowa Highway 14.
Apparently there was some looting Sunday night, state troopers said.
Yup. We had sirens for like 30 seconds.
It was weird, cause you heard the sirens closest to us cut out, but you could hear others in the distance.
Preliminary data:
Length of path - 43 miles
Approximate width through Parkersburg- 0.6-0.7 miles wide
Approximate width through New Hartford area- 1.2 miles wide
Preliminary intensity rating- "POTENTIALLY GREATER THAN EF3 PENDING FURTHER ASSESSMENT ON TUESDAY"
Link:
Large Destructive Tornado Impacts Butler and Black Hawk Counties
Length of path - 43 miles
Approximate width through Parkersburg- 0.6-0.7 miles wide
Approximate width through New Hartford area- 1.2 miles wide
Preliminary intensity rating- "POTENTIALLY GREATER THAN EF3 PENDING FURTHER ASSESSMENT ON TUESDAY"
Link:
Large Destructive Tornado Impacts Butler and Black Hawk Counties
I just got back from Parkersburg. It is very sad to see the area you grew up in completely destroyed. I have truly never seen anything like it. The tornado took down absolutely everything in its path. Fire depts from literally all over the state there and the seen is like something out of a movie. Everything is absolutely flattened. Today was spent helping people gather up their personal belongings and its sad to find gray wedding pictures ruined by rain. Several incredible stories coming from the town and after seeing it, its amazing that only 4 people were killed. The rumor going around is that they are giving residents until the end of the week to get their belongings and then they are bringing in the bulldozers. That's really the only thing that can be done at this point.
Terrible tragedy in Parkersburg. I love all the discussion about if it was an F3, F4, whatever. What does it matter? Yeah I know the windspeed factors in to the damage, but in hindsight if an F2 tornado did all that damage is it any less impressive than if it was an F5?
Do you think that just because some folks are discussing what level of tornado could have done that to that town, it means that folks don't care?
My reason for bringing that into the post I made was because in all my years living in Iowa, I have never seen that level of devastation, and the only thing that it compares to was some damage I have seen from F4's in KS.
And also sharing thoughts with folks as to just how much of a monster an F4 is, and how amazing it is that as few people died as they did.
But that doesn't lessen the impact. I would bet that 80% are one or two degrees removed from knowing someone that was affected by that tornado.
And when I see stuff like this, I apply it to my own life, what if that happened to me and my loved ones, and it brings me pause, I pray for the folks affected directly and indirectly, and I also analyze the storm because I am in awe of the power of something like that. I think that many of us do that. If you don't, that's fine, but check yourself.
'Impressive' is not the term I would use to define the damage from a tornado. You used that word, which is certainly inappropriate unless you are in an office in OKC and you and your colleagues don't know anyone there...then you are just cold.
I just got back from spending all day in the mud and destruction. I don't have an issue discussing the size of the tornado, So you shouldn't either IMO.
It is sad to see family members in a state of starting over, but sometimes talking about it helps.
I believe a term that would describe what I witnessed today would incredible. That and unbelievable. I heard those two words used a ton today.
I DVR'd KCCI at 6 tonight and they talked about the Fujita scale and some pictures they showed said it has some evidence of an F5.
It was very humbling watching my HS FB coach on channel 8 in tears. I got chewed out a lot by him and love him like a father, and that just ripped at me. Poor guy lost his house and the school.
I DVR'd KCCI at 6 tonight and they talked about the Fujita scale and some pictures they showed said it has some evidence of an F5.
It was very humbling watching my HS FB coach on channel 8 in tears. I got chewed out a lot by him and love him like a father, and that just ripped at me. Poor guy lost his house and the school.
Yeah, it just missed us here in Aurora. Hazleton is a mess. Lamont didn't get hit by any tornadoes. They got away with only 3 or 4 feet of flooding:no:
I think that is a scene that many of us could play in our heads and apply it to our own lives...that certainly hits home with me. I will continue to pray for all those affected.
Just unreal what these things can do in seconds.
...TORNADO SURVEY AND DAMAGE INFORMATION FOR BUCHANAN AND DELAWARE
COUNTIES...
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED TWO TORNADOES
OCCURRED SUNDAY EVENING IN PORTIONS OF BUCHANAN AND DELAWARE
COUNTIES. THE INFORMATION IS LISTED BELOW.
AN ADDITIONAL SWATH OF DAMAGE WAS NOTED OVER BUCHANAN COUNTY NORTH
OF HIGHWAY 20 NEAR LAMONT. THE STORM SURVEY INVESTIGATION IS STILL
ONGOING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THIS DAMAGE.
TORNADO NUMBER 1...
* LOCATION...BUCHANAN AND DELAWARE COUNTIES...FROM NEAR FAIRBANK TO
NEAR ONEIDA.
* TIME OF OCCURRENCE...ESTIMATED 605 PM TO 710 PM CDT ON
SUNDAY...5/25/2008.
* INJURIES/FATALITIES...3 INJURIES.
* EF-SCALE RATING...EF-3 INTENSITY.
* ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...160 MPH.
* PATH INFORMATION...PATH WIDTH WAS 0.7 MILES WIDE. PATH LENGTH WAS
32.4 MILES. THE PATH EXTENDED FROM 2.9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
FAIRBANK TO 2.25 MILES NORTHWEST OF ONEIDA.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH STARTING POINT ARE
42.603 DEGREES NORTH... 92.018 DEGREES WEST.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH ENDING POINT ARE
42.564 DEGREES NORTH... 91.392 DEGREES WEST.
* DAMAGE INFORMATION...3 HOMES DESTROYED. NUMEROUS FARMSTEADS AND
OUTBUILDINGS DESTROYED. TREES AND POWER POLES DOWN. MANY HOMES
WITH ROOF DAMAGE. SOUTH EDGE OF HAZELTON SEVERAL NON ANCHORED MOBILE
HOMES AT DEALERSHIP WERE DESTROYED.
TORNADO NUMBER 2...
* LOCATION...EASTERN DELAWARE COUNTY...SOUTH OF PETERSBURG.
* TIME OF OCCURRENCE...ESTIMATED 730 PM TO 740 PM CDT ON
SUNDAY...5/25/2008.
* INJURIES/FATALITIES...NO INJURIES.
* EF-SCALE RATING...EF-1 INTENSITY.
* ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...90 MPH.
* PATH INFORMATION...PATH WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS WIDE. PATH LENGTH WAS
6 MILES. THE PATH EXTENDED FROM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PETERSBURG
TO 3.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PETERSBURG.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH STARTING POINT ARE
42.536 DEGREES NORTH... 91.270 DEGREES WEST.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH ENDING POINT ARE
42.532 DEGREES NORTH... 91.154 DEGREES WEST.
* DAMAGE INFORMATION...TREES AND NUMEROUS FARM OUTBUILDINGS DAMAGED.
COUNTIES...
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED TWO TORNADOES
OCCURRED SUNDAY EVENING IN PORTIONS OF BUCHANAN AND DELAWARE
COUNTIES. THE INFORMATION IS LISTED BELOW.
AN ADDITIONAL SWATH OF DAMAGE WAS NOTED OVER BUCHANAN COUNTY NORTH
OF HIGHWAY 20 NEAR LAMONT. THE STORM SURVEY INVESTIGATION IS STILL
ONGOING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THIS DAMAGE.
TORNADO NUMBER 1...
* LOCATION...BUCHANAN AND DELAWARE COUNTIES...FROM NEAR FAIRBANK TO
NEAR ONEIDA.
* TIME OF OCCURRENCE...ESTIMATED 605 PM TO 710 PM CDT ON
SUNDAY...5/25/2008.
* INJURIES/FATALITIES...3 INJURIES.
* EF-SCALE RATING...EF-3 INTENSITY.
* ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...160 MPH.
* PATH INFORMATION...PATH WIDTH WAS 0.7 MILES WIDE. PATH LENGTH WAS
32.4 MILES. THE PATH EXTENDED FROM 2.9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
FAIRBANK TO 2.25 MILES NORTHWEST OF ONEIDA.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH STARTING POINT ARE
42.603 DEGREES NORTH... 92.018 DEGREES WEST.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH ENDING POINT ARE
42.564 DEGREES NORTH... 91.392 DEGREES WEST.
* DAMAGE INFORMATION...3 HOMES DESTROYED. NUMEROUS FARMSTEADS AND
OUTBUILDINGS DESTROYED. TREES AND POWER POLES DOWN. MANY HOMES
WITH ROOF DAMAGE. SOUTH EDGE OF HAZELTON SEVERAL NON ANCHORED MOBILE
HOMES AT DEALERSHIP WERE DESTROYED.
TORNADO NUMBER 2...
* LOCATION...EASTERN DELAWARE COUNTY...SOUTH OF PETERSBURG.
* TIME OF OCCURRENCE...ESTIMATED 730 PM TO 740 PM CDT ON
SUNDAY...5/25/2008.
* INJURIES/FATALITIES...NO INJURIES.
* EF-SCALE RATING...EF-1 INTENSITY.
* ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...90 MPH.
* PATH INFORMATION...PATH WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS WIDE. PATH LENGTH WAS
6 MILES. THE PATH EXTENDED FROM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PETERSBURG
TO 3.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PETERSBURG.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH STARTING POINT ARE
42.536 DEGREES NORTH... 91.270 DEGREES WEST.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THE PATH ENDING POINT ARE
42.532 DEGREES NORTH... 91.154 DEGREES WEST.
* DAMAGE INFORMATION...TREES AND NUMEROUS FARM OUTBUILDINGS DAMAGED.
I was there today as well, I couldn't believe what it looked like, both my brothers were moving cars out of town and my mom is an EMT at the highschool. My brother and I walked from house to house helping anyone who needed help putting stuff in their trucks etc.... You can't belive what can happen unless you see it, the weight room is completely gone, wartnight will understand how improtant that is to that community. The grocery store is completely gone, Kwik Star, high school gym and the walls are caved in. I hadn't been back home for a while, and still can't explain what it was like, just feel so bad for the people, but that community is strong. I couldn't believe the amount of 4 wheelers, fire departments, and members of the community there. People just moved from house to house, emptying their belongings and going to the next, it was amazing. The fire departments, mostly volunteer, all stayed the night last night, and weren't sure if they were going home tonight, most were still there at 8pm tonight.
There was one pretty neat story I had heard today. There was a mother and her son going back to P-burg from cedar falls when they saw the tornado coming at them, the only shelter was the elevator at Sinclair, just east of Parkersburg. They jumped out of their car and hid in the bottom of a grain mill. It was the only structure still standing, the entire elevator was destroyed except for the one they were in.
Please remember the people who have been involved with this devestation, and thank any of the volunteers and fire/rescue departments that helped so much!
I am assuming that if you have insurance you are covered for a loss of this nature... but how long does it take to get the insurance company to start cutting checks? Do they help with hotel expense...