Midwest Storms Leave 1 Dead, 65 Injured

One man was killed and more than 65 people were reported injured when tornadoes, high winds and thunderstorms whipped through the Midwest, local officials and national weather agencies said Saturday.

Friday’s violent storm system spawned tornadoes, hail, thunderstorms and high winds that ripped through an area that stretched from south-central Minnesota to Missouri, with the most severe weather seen in eastern Iowa, said Bill Kehn, a forecaster with Weather Services Corp. in Lexington, Mass.

Winds recorded at more than 80 mph hit a mobile home park near Albany in southern Minnesota as people were setting up a flea market. One man was killed and up to 30 people were injured, officials reported.

In Washington, Iowa, a tornado injured 35 people and destroyed homes and apartment buildings, said Eric Woolson, spokesman for Gov. Terry E. Branstad.

“We believe there was damage in as many as 40 counties, but we’re still assessing that,” Woolson said.

The Iowa National Guard was deployed Saturday to assess storm damage and help local officials stop any looting of damaged buildings in Washington, the governor’s office said.

In southwestern Wisconsin, storms damaged several rural buildings, and at least three people were treated for injuries at local hospitals, according to representatives of the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department.

There were numerous reports of downed power lines, fallen trees and damage to homes and businesses throughout the region, the National Weather Service reported.