Multiple people dead and a dozen injured after tornado wreaks havoc on Iowa town

Multiple people were killed by a tornado in Iowa on Tuesday, and at least a dozen people have been injured, according to Iowa state police. 

The number of fatalities is not clear, but at least a dozen were injured in the small town of Greenfield, Iowa, which has a population of roughly 2,000 people, per the Associated Press. The town is located approximately 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, which saw multiple twisters touch down near it on Tuesday. Much of Greenfield has been damaged by the tornadoes, according to various news reports.

“We do have confirmed fatalities,” Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said at a news conference Tuesday night. "We believe we have everyone accounted for, but we are conducting extensive searches to be thorough."

The Adair County Memorial Hospital, which is the closest hospital to Greenfield, has taken patients and transported other patients to nearby facilities if they were safe enough to travel. The hospital itself also sustained damage from the tornado, Dinkla said according to ABC News, but it still operated.

The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for areas in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas and Oklahoma that remain in effect through Tuesday night. Most of Iowa is under a "Particularly Dangerous Situation," according to the National Weather Service.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, has declared a disaster emergency for 15 counties across the state, which includes Adair County. Reynolds said she plans to visit Greenfield on Wednesday.

“Kevin’s and my prayers are with all the communities and families impacted by today’s severe weather, and especially those who tragically lost their lives in the Greenfield area," Reynolds said in a statement. "It was just a few weeks ago that tornadoes hit several other Iowa communities, and it’s hard to believe that it’s happened again. Iowans are strong and resilient, and we will get through this together. I plan to visit Greenfield in the morning to assess the damage with local officials and start the recovery process.”