(Pottawattamie County) Pottawattamie County Emergency Management reports at least four people were injured in the tornado outbreak in Pottawattamie County.
On April 26th, Pottawattamie County experienced severe weather, with confirmed tornado activity in several areas, including the western portions of Council Bluffs, northeast of Crescent, east of McClelland, southwest of Treynor, and the city of Minden.
The City of Minden has declared a state of emergency. Pottawattamie County has declared a state of emergency, and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for Pottawattamie County.
Four storm-related injuries have been reported at the time of this release. Three individuals were treated and released, while one remains hospitalized in stable condition. Preliminary information indicates varying degrees of damage to approximately 120 homes and businesses in Pottawattamie County. The American Red Cross established two shelters in the county that were not needed, as displaced residents were able to arrange overnight accommodations.
The most concentrated damage from these weather events occurred in Minden. Gas and power utility services have been disrupted, and access to the city of Minden has been closed to outside traffic. A curfew has been issued for Minden between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM and will remain in effect until further notice.
Beginning at 8:00 AM on April 27th, impacted residents seeking a return to Minden will be allowed admission. The check-in location for admission will be at the Minden United Church of Christ at 106 Lincoln Street. Due to the hazardous conditions, only residents of Minden will be granted access now. Officials are not seeking outside volunteer assistance but will announce those opportunities soon.
Ongoing disaster information can be found on the Emergency Management Agency website at https://pcema-ia.org.
Community-specific information for Minden can be found on the City of Minden Facebook page and the TriCenter Community School District Facebook page.
Damage to residential and business properties should be reported at the Emergency Management Agency website.
