LETHAL STORMS KILL 8 IN IOWA AND MINNESOTO
AP Photo: Cars damaged by a powerful storm are seen in Parkersburg, IowaBy HENRY C. JACKSON, - DES MOINES, Iowa - Powerful storms packing large hail, heavy rain and tornadoes made for a deadly Memorial Day weekend across the nation's midsection, killing at least seven people in Iowa and a 2-year-old child in Minnesota.
Iowa Homeland Security administrator Dave Miller said seven people were killed Sunday by a tornado in northeast Iowa — five from Parkersburg, a town of about 1,000 some 80 miles northeast of Des Moines — and two from nearby New Hartford. At least 50 injuries were reported.
Witnesses reported parts of Parkersburg — particularly the town's south side — were reduced to rubble, including most of the town's high school and homes. In the Des Moines area, there was heavy rain and lightning Sunday night with wind gusts of 70 mph.