Iowa county declared disaster area after tornadoes

Wave of tornadoes sweeps across IowaSTORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Red Cross liaison: Mapleton, Iowa, is "a disaster"Red Cross sets up shelters in two towns hit by tornadoes Storm chasers record tornado heading toward MapletonIowa governor declares disaster after tornado hits Monona CountyRELATED TOPICSTornadoesIowa (CNN) -- Emergency crews early Sunday sifted through the wreckage left behind by a wave of tornadoes that swept across Iowa before midnight.

One of the twisters caused enough damage to prompt Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad to issue a disaster proclamation in Monona County, according to a statement released by the governor's office.

The proclamation allows officials to use state funds to help.

Authorities said the extent of the damage is unclear because the twister struck at night. Stefanie Bond, a public information officer for the state's Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division, said the National Guard is in Mapleton. Bond also said that natural gas service has temporarily been shut off in the city.

Amateur video recorded by storm chasers shows a large funnel cloud spinning across a flat terrain outside Mapleton.

In the background, a passenger can be heard exclaiming, "It's going to hit that town! ... Mapleton's in big trouble!"

Bruce Spence, a Red Cross government liaison, told CNN that as of Sunday morning there had been no reports of deaths or injuries in Mapleton. However, the damage to the town was "extensive," Spence said.

"The whole town is without power. Main Street is a disaster," Spence said. "They've shut down the town. As we speak, I'm looking down one of the residential streets. There's debris all over, trees are down."

"This isn't going to get fixed soon," Spence said.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines reported tornado sightings by storm chasers and trained spotters in as many as 11 towns and cities northern and west central Iowa over a four-hour period Saturday night.

At least three of the twisters, including the Mapleton tornado, caused significant damage, according to Frank Boksa, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

In Early, a town of 1,600 residents, a tornado ripped roofs off buildings and homes and uprooted large trees, authorities said. There were no reports of injuries in that town. In Schaller, a twister knocked down a dozen trees and felled multiple power poles, the weather service reported.

Tammie Pech, a Red Cross spokeswoman, said the agency was opening shelters in Mapleton and Early to take in storm victims. Only four people slept in the Mapleton shelter overnight Sunday, Spence said. Most displaced residents opted to stay with family and friends, he said.

However, Spence said the Red Cross was preparing to provide meals to hundreds of Mapleton residents on Sunday.

Along with Mapleton and Early, the National Weather Service also reported major damage in Nemaha, possibly from a tornado.

Boksa said the storms originated in eastern Nebraska and followed a warm front across northern Iowa.

"I think the tornadic threat is diminishing now," Boksa said early Sunday.

CNN's Greg Morrison and Leslie Tripp contributed to this report

View the Original article