Tornadoes tear up Midwest

DES MOINES, Iowa – Tornadoes damaged farm buildings and crops as violent thunderstorms battered southeastern Minnesota, northern Iowa and Nebraska.

One twister destroyed David Mickelson’s barn, home, garage, machine shed and silo south of Otho, Iowa.

“You work all your life to build up a place like this and in a matter of seconds it’s all gone,” Mickelson said.

No injuries were reported in the storms that started Friday afternoon and continued through the evening.

At least six tornadoes touched down near the south-central Kansas town of Mulvane on Saturday evening, destroying one home and damaging another, overturning cars and downing power lines. Several other tornadoes were reported elsewhere in the state, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Seven tornadoes struck southeastern Minnesota on Friday, smashing at least two farms and several homes near LeRoy, about 40 miles south of Rochester, which got 1.34 inches of rain.

In Iowa, the weather service estimated five to 10 tornadoes touched down in Webster County, including the one near Otho. About five tornadoes touched down in rural Clay County, said Sheriff Randy Drukow. One was about a half-mile wide, but most of the damage was to crops, Drukow said.

Torrential rain, hail and at least one tornado battered eastern Nebraska.