Dramatic moment tornadoes ravage Iowa homes injuring 17 and flattening one town left in a state of emergency

THIS is the dramatic moment a tornado ravages homes in Iowa, reportedly injuring 17 and flattening one town which has been left in a state of emergency.

A spate of unexpected storms swept through the state yesterday, taking residents and even weather forecasters by surprise as they hit the towns of Marshalltown, Pella and Bondurant.

Ten people were injured in Marshalltown and seven were hurt at a factory near Pella, but no deaths were reported.

Alex Krull, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, said forecasting models produced Thursday morning showed only a slight chance of strong thunderstorms later in the day.

He said: "This morning, it didn't look like tornadic supercells were possible.

"If anything, we were expecting we could get some large hail, if strong storms developed."

Marshalltown, a city of 27,000 people about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines, appeared to have been hit the hardest.

Brick walls collapsed in the streets, roofs were blown off buildings and the cupola of the historic courthouse tumbled 175 feet to the ground.

The only hospital in Marshalltown was damaged, spokeswoman Amy Varcoe said.

All 40 of the patients at UnityPoint Health were being transferred to the health system's larger hospital in Waterloo as well as one in Grundy Center, she said.

The emergency room in the smaller Marshalltown hospital remained open to treat patients injured in the storm, Varcoe said.

Ten people hurt in the storm had been treated, she said.

She did not know how serious those patients' injuries were.

Marshalltown resident Stephanie Moz said she, her husband and 2-month-old baby were in the downtown clothing store she owns when tornado sirens went off.

The family sought shelter in the building's basement and heard "cracking and booms and explosions" as the tornado passed.

The storm broke out a window, ruining clothing and hats on display there, and destroyed her husband's vehicle.

But she said she's relieved.

She said: "We went through a tornado and survived."

"I'm happy."

Additional funnels were reported as the storm moved east of Des Moines past Altoona, Prairie City and Colfax.

National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon said two primary storms spawned the series of tornadoes.

One developed in the Marshalltown area, causing damage there, while the other started east of Des Moines and traveled through Bondurant and into Pella.

The exact number of tornadoes and their strength will be determined later.

Iowa State Rep. Mark Smith, who lives in Marshalltown, told Des Moines station KCCI-TV that the area will likely be declared a disaster area.

Smith said much of downtown was damaged.

He said his house and neighborhood were spared, but surrounding homes were hit.

"There are houses with windows out, houses without roofs," he said.

"It's just an absolute mess."

Another tornado hit agricultural machinery maker Vermeer Manufacturing in the town of Pella, about 40 miles southeast of Des Moines.

People were still working at the plant at the time.

The storm scattered huge sheets of metal through a parking lot and left one building with a huge hole in it.

Seven people injured at the plant were taken to Pella Regional Health Center, hospital spokeswoman Billie Rhamy said.

They all were released after being treated for their minor injuries, Rhamy said.

The terrifying storm tore through a midwest town, ripping up power lines and destroying houses.

TJ Phillips watched on from his front garden as the twister was tearing through Bondurant, Iowa, USA, on July 19.

As the powerful vortex travelled across the ground, electricity lines explode into sparks before a double storey house is reduced to confetti in the swirling winds.

TJ said: “It was the scariest moment of my life.

“It almost took my home away.

“I pray that everyone else in the town was safe.”