Tornadoes stun Iowa: Citizens vow to rebuild

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National News

July 22, 2018 - 11:00 PM

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — With the scope of the devastation still sinking in, business owners and residents of the central Iowa city of Marshalltown on Friday began picking up bricks from collapsed buildings, dragging away downed trees and trying to return to the lives they knew before a powerful tornado roared through their community.

Structures throughout Marshalltown, a city of 27,000, were hit by the Thursday afternoon tornado but some of the worst damage was to the historic courthouse and brick buildings that line the city’s quaint town square. For years, officials and property owners have slowly worked to spruce up the buildings, only to see them devastated in minutes.

“Since 2002 we’ve spent $50 million in building renovations and now to see these, I’m just sick,” said Jenny Etter, executive director of the Marshalltown Central Business District, a nonprofit group. “We were making giant strides in restoring the downtown so this is really devastating to us because we were on a roll. These buildings were beautiful.”

At the 132-year-old courthouse, a blue tarp flapped over a gaping hole atop the clock tower after the cupola tumbled to the ground.

Local officials promised to rebuild, but some residents were too shocked to make plans.

Crystal Jensen, tears running down her face, said the storm passed in just three minutes, but it left her house in ruins and blew away photos and a bracelet from her father.

“I just lost my dad two months ago and this happened,” she said. “I’m kind of at a loss.”

Terri Shetler, owner of an embroidery shop on the town square, was digging out her 2017 Toyota Sienna, missing a front quarter panel, windows blown out and filled with mud, shingles and wood slivers.

“I’m pretty shaken. I came out and saw the courthouse and all this,” she said. “But it can be replaced.”

Marshalltown officials said 10 people were injured and at least 28 people were relocated to an emergency shelter.

About 200 workers from several states were scrambling to replace 500 utility poles and restore power to thousands of customers, said Alli-ant Energy spokesman Justin Foss. Natural gas service remains shut down in part of the city, he said.

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