~by The Scranton Journal
An unusual weather system moved through the Midwest on Wednesday, leaving record-setting temperatures and a path of destruction from high winds and tornadoes.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has determined that three EF-2 tornadoes capable of producing wind speeds of 120 miles per hour blew through Guthrie, Greene and Webster Counties, starting just after 5 pm on Dec. 15.
The first tornado originated southwest of Bayard about 5:17 pm and headed northeast for 24 miles toward the intersection of Highways 4 and 30. It caused extensive damage to two homes on the east edge of Bayard and continued a path of destruction through the rural area between Scranton and Jefferson.
The second tornado developed about 5:21 pm near Springbrook State Park, tracking a similar path but a few miles east. It traveled northwest of Bagley for 17.4 miles toward Jefferson, wreaking havoc on numerous farms as it blew through the area.
A third tornado came out of the clouds southwest of Paton about 5:43 pm. It traveled on the ground for 26 miles, causing extensive damage in Paton and headed northeast. It breezed through Harcourt and past the western edge of Burnside, crossing Highway 20 and ending northwest of Duncombe.
The NWS reported Dec. 15 produced the most amount of hurricane force winds (75 miles per hour or more) in a single day in Iowa since 2004. There were more than 55 gusts of at least 75 mph.
Greene County sheriff Jack Williams reported at least two cell towers were destroyed by the storm. There was also a 20-car train derailment one mile east of Jefferson.
Many areas lost electrical service with downed power lines. A new set of poles in Willow and Greenbrier Townships were snapped off in mile long segments. Alliant Energy and Midland Power Cooperative worked tirelessly to restore service to their customers.
Scranton lost service briefly but Jefferson was without service for 32 hours. Many rural customers did not have power restored until Sunday.
The Scranton and Paton community centers and Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson served as warming shelters and electronics charging locations during the outage.
Governor Kim Reynold issued a disaster proclamation for 43 counties impacted by the storm including Greene, Guthrie, Carroll and Webster counties. She visited in Greene County and at Bayard on Friday.
The proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses.
Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.
The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation.
For information on the Disaster Case Management Program in Greene County, contact New Opportunities at 515-386-2719, schedule an appointment at 1401 N. Elm Street Suite A in Jefferson or visit www.newopp.org.
Residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies. Damage may be reported at www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov
