FEMA tours Greenfield

GREENFIELD — Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell joined Gov. Kim Reynolds Thursday morning in tornado-damaged Greenfield and Adair County to see the impact. They then spoke with the media outside the high school.

Reynolds said to have Criswell here seeing the damage is “very beneficial” as the state government corresponds with federal officials to secure relief for those who have been impacted.

Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service upgraded their preliminary EF-3 rating for the Adair County tornado to EF-4, which means damage was found consistent with a tornado that included winds of 175-185 mph. Surveyors found the tornado traveled 44 miles and was 1,000 yards across at its widest.

The state has filed the necessary forms to FEMA for an expedited presidential major disaster declaration. That would benefit four counties: Adair County, which has had 153 homes destroyed or heavily damaged; Montgomery, which has had eight; Polk, 26 and Story, 15.

The governor’s disaster declaration, enacted earlier this week now benefits an expanded total of 32 counties.

Personal stories were moving for Criswell as she toured Greenfield. She said she talked to those who narrowly escaped not making it through the tornado, but they were separated by feet or fractions of a city block from the worst.

Others weren’t as fortunate. Names of four individuals who died in the storm were not released yet Thursday, pending notification of next of kin.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says Monica Zamarron, 46, died after her vehicle was blown off of Highway 148 and Joshua Tree Avenue north of Corning Tuesday in a tornado.

Back in Greenfield, Criswell thanked first responders, but she also praised neighbors who were watching out for neighbors.

“As I say, neighbors are often the true first responders because they know where the most vulnerable people of the community are,” she said. “They know who to go check on. As you continue to go through the next several days and weeks of cleanup, be sure you continue to do that. There are a lot of dangers still out there and a lot of damage, so make sure you’re taking care of yourselves and your neighbors.”

Criswell urged property owners to take lots of pictures to document damages. That will help in the long run.

As more storms were projected for this morning, Criswell said it’s important residents continue following the instructions of local officials to keep themselves safe as cleanup marches on.

“Me being on the ground today really helps me understand the actual impact,” Criswell said. “Watching videos and seeing the pictures of the tornado damage, it just does not do it justice.”

Reynolds said she can already see impressive progress in the cleanup of debris. Crews from 11 area county secondary roads divisions came to assist in that process.

Many relief groups or ministries were in Greenfield also helping provide relief. Numerous local groups have sprung into action to gather needed items and distribute them to where they’re needed.

Greenfield Mayor Jimmie Schultz has lived here his entire life.

“I hoped I would never have to see this,” he said. There were smaller tornadoes that hit the town when he was a child, but nothing to this magnitude.

“The outside help and response of people wanting to help is what is crazy. It has been overwhelming and great to see. I think it tells us that everybody is family,” Schultz said.

A return to normalcy will take time, Schultz said.

“I think we’ll do it one day at a time. Just like that, the tornado destroyed everything, but it won’t work that way to clean it up,” Schultz said. “We’ll get there. We’ve got a lot of people to help us.”