(Pottawattamie County) Ten days after tornado activity devastated several areas of Pottawattamie County, another tornado touched down east of Minden in the late-night hours of May 6th.
Early assessments indicate the latest storm impacted seven properties and a hog confinement. No injuries were reported.
Officials say no significant damage was caused to homes in the area, but several outbuildings and trees were destroyed. Power poles were snapped in the storm as well. The area experienced temporary power disruptions. Power was restored in Neola before midnight and restored in Minden at 3:00 AM on May 7th.
The National Weather Service has deployed a field assessment team to survey the damage and to estimate the tornado’s rating, peak winds, length, width, and track.
Today, teams of local and state emergency management personnel, FEMA, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) will conduct a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (JPDA). This assessment is the formal validation assessment of data submitted by local officials and impacted residents and business owners to support the governor’s request for federal assistance. After the JPDA is completed across the several impacted areas of the state, FEMA will recommend it to the President. Local officials hope to be informed of a positive determination in the coming days.
All communities in the county have received sufficient donations of household items.
If you would like to volunteer, Emergency Management has partnered with Samaritans Purse, which continues to organize volunteers to assist in impacted areas throughout the county. To sign up to volunteer, call 531-242-2206. On-site safety meetings are
If you still need assistance around your house and property, call 833-747-1234 to speak to a Samaritans Purse representative. Disaster survivors can also access food items, hygiene products, and household resources from multiple locations.
- Crescent City Hall, 102 W Florence Street, Crescent, Iowa
- Neola Area Community Center, 110 4th Street, Neola, Iowa
- Charles E. Lakin Foundation, 705 N 16th Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Treynor City Hall, 11 West Main Street, Treynor, Iowa
Additional Multi-agency Resource Centers (MARCs) are being planned. Locations, dates, and times will be announced in the coming days.
