At least 17 tornadoes confirmed in Iowa from Friday’s outbreak

PHOTO: Over a dozen tornadoes occurred in the state of Iowa on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Severe storms moved through Nebraska into western and central Iowa on April 26th, producing some large, long-track tornadoes. The NWS in Des Moines says preliminary reports and completed storm surveys show at least 17 tornadoes occurred in Iowa. National Weather Service offices in Des Moines and Omaha are continuing to survey the damage. The Omaha office is still working on surveying extensive damage in southwest Iowa in the town of Minden. The NWS says a final tornado count may take a few weeks as they examine radar/satellite data along with videos and pictures.
KGAN-TV CBS/FOX 2 Cedar Rapids

Pleasant Hill residents describe tornado experiences and rally together despite destruction

VIDEO: Many Pleasant Hill residents woke up on Saturday morning to debris, fallen trees, and lowered power lines after a tornado ripped through the western part of the city Friday night. Several residents said Friday night’s severe weather was unlike anything they’ve experienced before. “From the sound to the sight, it doesn’t compare,” said Pleasant Hill resident Danielle Norelies. They described hurrying to their basements or to shelters after seeing the sky turn an electric green color and later hearing what sounded like a freight train. “It was really loud, like really loud. And just sometimes I was just anxious,” said Makayla Hilsenbeck. Barron Geiger has lived in Pleasant Hill for four years. Eight of the trees on his property toppled over because of the tornado.
WHO-TV NBC 13 Des Moines

Related: Volunteers across the country help with storm cleanup efforts in Iowa

VIDEO: Whenever a natural disaster hits, Gideon Rescue Company packs up and hits the road to help where it can. Now, the group is in Iowa, helping to clean up after storms ripped through the state Friday night. "Actually, we were on our way to Omaha, we were coming down from Michigan and we were going to go through Omaha, but the tornado kept coming this way and by the time we got to Des Moines, it hit Des Moines," said Dylan McWilliams, a rescue technician with Gideon Rescue Company. Members of the nonprofit go across the world to help out following tornadoes, hurricanes and even the war in Ukraine. "It's really amazing to like, when we show up to help somebody, pretty soon their neighbors are out there helping them too and it's just an endless chain," Dylan said.
WOI-TV ABC 5 Ames

Center Point to unveil its new fire station

VIDEO: The Center Point Fire Department is ready to unveil its new $2 million fire station at an open house Saturday. Chief Doug Felton said the department has needed a new facility for the last several decades. He said the old building only a few blocks away was never meant to be a fire station and firefighters faced several issues. “We had a black mold issue, the roof leaked, and firefighters had to worry about being hit when trucks were leaving,” he said. All the equipment is now under one roof. Chief Felton said the department did hold fundraisers, but a bulk of the money came from a 2019 $2 million bond issue the community passed. Felton said it took years to get to this point because of the pandemic and supply chain issues. “There was some heartburn with it, but it was one of those things that we wanted to make sure it was done right,” said Mayor Traer Morgan.
KCRG-TV ABC 9 Cedar Rapids

Outbuilding and Garage Fire in Atlantic

The Atlantic Fire Department was called to 511 Front Street in Atlantic Thursday morning for an outbuilding Fire. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel says the call went out at around 10:30 a.m. Chief Cappel said the cause of the fire has been deemed electrical. The homeowner was in the house at the time of the fire. There were no injuries. Cappel thanks the Atlantic Police Department and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office for assisting at the scene.
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