Iowa Tornadoes Leave 1 Dead, 70 Homes Damaged

Nearly one week after tornadoes left more than 20 dead in Indiana, tornadoes on Nov. 12 killed at least one woman and destroyed 70 homes in Iowa.

At least three twisters hit two counties in the towns of Stratford and Woodward. Along with one fatality, two were injured and a natural gas leak led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents from their homes.

The storm’s winds broke windows on the outskirts of Ames, where tornado sirens had sent fans gathered for the Big 12 Iowa State-Colorado football game scurrying for shelter. About 40 homes were destroyed in Woodward and 30 in Stratford.

Tornadoes in Iowa are rare this late in the year, according to Weather Service records. There have been 23 November tornadoes in Iowa since 1950, all but six of them recorded in the years 1975 and 1988. Another tornado ripped through western Kentucky and Southwest Indiana in early November, killing 22.

Insurance adjustors surveying the Iowa damage said the devastation equaled that of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew in Florida. State Farm insures 30 homes in Stratford and Woodward, eight of which were severely damaged. One insurance agent said his company had issued $300,000 in a one-hour span, according to Associated Press.

Allstate had four claims from the storm with damage ranging from missing roofing shingles to serious structural damage.