At least one dead as tornadoes rip through Iowa

At least one person has died in Iowa as tornadoes and severe weather swept across the region, tearing apart homes and destroying massive wind turbines.

The storms are the latest in an epidemic of severe weather that began Sunday. Since then, there have been more than a dozen confirmed tornadoes across the Plains and Midwest, including two EF2 tornadoes Sunday night in central Oklahoma and wind gusts of over 90 mph Monday night in Nebraska.

The full forecast can be found here.

Here’s what happens now:

(​5:32 p.m. ET) Greenfield, Iowa, community particularly hard hit

From Weather.com Digital Meteorologist Jonathan Belles: Radar shows debris from a tornado in Greenfield, Iowa, was thrown 35,000 to 40,000 feet into the air. That suggests a violent tornado, but we’ll have to wait for confirmation from National Weather Service surveys.

Greenfield is located in Adair County, approximately 44 miles southwest of Des Moines.

(​5:23 p.m. ET) Turbines destroyed by storms

Photos posted on social media show some Wind turbines in a tangled, burned ruin between Carbon and Greenfield, Iowa, after storms passed through.

(5:12 p.m. ET) Death confirmed in Iowa

A woman in Iowa died after being thrown from her vehicle during severe weather today. Further details were not immediately available.

(4:53 p.m. ET) Homes damaged, multiple tornadoes

There are reports of homes and other buildings damaged in southwest Iowa as multiple tornadoes moved through the region.

The reports come from Adams and Montgomery counties, both in the same area about 35 miles southeast of Omaha, Nebraska.

Emergency dispatchers in both counties said they were too busy to provide more information and were still working to confirm details.

There are also reports of damage in nearby Adair County, Iowa.

(​4:30 p.m. ET) “Particularly Dangerous Situation”

“This is dangerous because there could be violent tornadoes and winds in excess of 90 miles per hour,” said Weather.com’s chief meteorologist Dina Knightly said. “Such winds can move your car, cause structural damage to your home, and down trees and power lines. Another reason it’s so dangerous is that these storms can occur after dark, when people can’t see them or have gone to bed.” Prepare all patio furniture and, if possible, park your car in the area Garage as the hail could be the size of softballs.

The watch included the cities of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids in Iowa, as well as Rochester, Minnesota.

(​MORE: All tornado warnings are important, but not all are equal)

“Seek shelter “Warnings are issued anytime, but ESPECIALLY today,” the National Weather in Des Moines posted on social media today.

(4 p.m. ET) Storms begin in Iowa

ON​ Tornado landed in Montgomery County, Iowa, around 3:30 p.m. EDT. The area is approximately 35 miles southeast of Des Moines.

Quarter- to golf-ball-sized hail and wind gusts between 60 and 80 miles per hour were reported earlier in parts of southern Iowa. Des Moines Public Schools was one of several districts to announce an early closure.

The threat of severe weather remains overnight into tomorrow. The worst of the weather tonight will hit parts of Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin, with several other states potentially affected as well.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM

–The danger of nighttime tornadoes

-​What makes a storm severe?

-​15 storm safety tips that could save your life

-​How tornadoes are rated

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features on weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.