Rip through parts of Iowa tornadoes

Wave of tornadoes sweeps across IowaNEW: 3 additional cities have no power and hog pens were destroyed, an official saysMapleton had been closed as authorities a gas possible leakA Red Cross calls for binding probed the main street "a catastrophe" with debris everywhereOther Iowa communities are also hit hard by night twisters

(CNN) - community Iowa year has been closed a large part of Sunday afternoon while emergency teams remained at work, search wreckage caused by a wave of strong tornadoes that swept the State of the day to the next.

The spirals caused important damage to approximately 60% of Mapleton, a town of about 1,200 people, Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt told journalists Sunday.

It was all part of a storm system that hit the day after, originating from Eastern Nebraska and a warm front across northern Iowa, according to meteorologist National Weather Service Frank Boksa.

But despite causing significant damage, it did not lead to death, said Stefanie Bond, a Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division of Iowa spokesman.

Forest fires in Texas. Flooding in the upper Midwest

Mapleton was among the hardest hit areas. Initially, the concerns about a gas leak had encouraged all non-residents to be prevented from the community, which is about 45 km southeast of Sioux City. At 5 pm people being could, even if the authorities remained on the scene, according to Sheriff's Department.

High winds thrown from cars and tractors, ripped off roofs, caused a carwash to collapse, uprooted trees and power lines have fallen. However, Pratt said there were only minor injuries, give credit to the advance of warning but also an emergency response effort that included both local authorities and elsewhere.

"There was major devastation in the southwestern part of the city, but no deaths", said the Sheriff.

Iowa Governor Terry e. Branstad issued a proclamation of disaster for Monona County, according to a statement from his Office. The proclamation allows agents to use public funds to help. Later, he issued a similar proclamation for the County of Pocahontas, which has also suffered serious damage.

He then turns the city devastated by tornado on Sunday afternoon, display photos online of uprooted trees and conversations with residents. On his Twitter page, Branstad has written: "Please keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers."

The twisters struck just before midnight Saturday.

Amateur video recorded by the hunters storm shows a cloud of large funnel spinning through flat terrain outside of Mapleton.

In the background, a passenger can be heard yelling, "it will hit the town!" ... Of Mapleton trouble! ?

Subsequently, the National Guard troops were brought in the region, according to Stefanie Bond, a Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division State public information officer. She also said that natural gas service has been temporarily shut down in the city.

The Red Cross was also on the ground, provide assistance. Bruce Spence, a Government liaison for the group, called the damage to the city "important".

"The whole city is without power." Main Street is a disaster, "he said on CNN. "They have ceased throughout the city." As we speak I look at one of the residential streets. There is debris everywhere, trees are down.

"This is not is going to get fixed soon," said Spence.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa, reported by the hunters of the storm and observers trained in 11 towns and cities of the North and West-Central Iowa, the observations of tornado over a period of four hours Saturday night.

At least three of the twisters, including the Mapleton tornado caused significant damage, according to Boksa.

In Early, a town of 1,600 people, a tornado sheared off roofs from houses and buildings and uprooted large trees, said authorities. There was no reports of injuries in the same city. Schaller, a tornado overturned a dozen trees and shot multiple poles, the weather service reported.

Tammie Pech, a spokesman for the Red Cross, said the wasopening agency Mapleton and early shelters to the victims of the storm. Only four people sleeping in the Mapleton Sunday overnight shelter, said Spence. Most displaced residents chose to stay with family and friends, he said.

The National Weather Service also reported damage, in Nemaha perhaps a tornado.

Bond noted that high winds tore through country Pocohontas hog pens, also in central Iowa and Kossuth County, in the eastern border of Illinois.

Three cities in the County of Fayette - Fayette, Westgate and Maynard - were also without power Sunday night because of a blown transformer, said state emergency management spokesman.CNN Greg Morrison, Greg Botelho and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report

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