Tornado Levels Several Iowa Towns

Many of you outside Iowa might not have been following this, but on Sunday, May 25 an EF5 tornado (the highest rating, Iowa's first such tornado since 1976) tore through Northeast Iowa. The small town of Parkersburg (photo above) was all but wiped off the map with 100 to 200 homes destroyed, five people dead and many dozens injured. The tornado cut a 43-mile path of destruction across Butler and Black Hawk counties, causing damage to the towns of New Hartford and Dunkerton and many farmsteads in between. The twister lifted before entering Buchanan County, but still had enough oomph to do significant damage to the Buchanan County towns of Fairbank and Hazleton. When the dust settled seven people were dead and many more were injured.

Anyone who wishes to help can donate money to the American Red Cross Hawkeye Chapter or the Salvation Army. Checks can be dropped off at Fidelity Bank and Trust, Community Bank of Oelwein, Regions Bank or Veridian Credit Union in Oelwein. You can also call the Iowa Concern Hotline at 1-800-447-1985.

KCRG.com reports: "An emergency distribution site has been established at Bethel Lutheran Church, 701 3rd Avenue, in Parkersburg. Pastor Ruggles has agreed to provide this temporary Goodwill site for distribution. The church can be reached at 319-346-2028. Mr. Boyd said, 'We will load trucks at our various Goodwill sites in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Independence, Dubuque, Oelwein and Decorah and we will truck merchandise to those people in need. Two temporary collection centers have been set up in Grundy Center at the Grundy National Bank at 603 7th St. and 529 G Avenue. We recognize that many of these families have also lost their transportation. So please respond to this emergency call as soon as possible, aid must be brought to them. Drop all donations at any Goodwill site and it will be transferred to those in need.'"

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected by the storms.