Five dead in Iowa as storms batter Midwest

Five people were killed after as tornadoes ripped through a small Iowa town and nearby areas during powerful storms across the Midwest.

Homes and businesses in Greenfield were destroyed, cars smashed and debris strewn across the landscape during the Tuesday storms.

At least 35 people were hurt but the number of those injured is believed to be higher, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said on Wednesday.

Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin were also hit by tornadoes, heavy rain and power cuts.

The fifth death was confirmed by police in Adams County, about 25 miles (40km) from Greenfield. A woman's car was blown off the road; she was identified as 46-year-old Monica Zamarron.

The names and ages of the dead in Greenfield are not being released, pending notification of next of kin, police there said.

Video footage showing the devastation across Iowa depicted flattened buildings, overturned cars and broken wind turbines.

It was Greenfield, a town of 2,000 people about 55 miles from Des Moines, that endured the deadliest tornado of all.

Lisa Beaman described to Reuters the experience of seeing the ceiling in her home fall through. "We were hollering, screaming," she said. Her husband was taken for medical treatment as he could not feel his legs after getting trapped by debris.

The town's hospital was among the buildings damaged, forcing the dozen people who were injured to go elsewhere.

A "good portion" of Greenfield is devastated, Iowa State Patrol Sgt Alex Dinkla told reporters on Tuesday night.

The death toll was unknown, he said, adding: “We’re still counting at this time.”

Everyone who lives in the town seems to be accounted for, he said.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds would not confirm the number of fatalities during a press conference in Greenfield on Wednesday.

"This is a search and rescue mission and it will continue to be throughout the day," she said.

In an earlier statement, she had noted that other Iowa communities were hit by tornadoes "just a few weeks ago".

"And it’s hard to believe that it’s happened again," she said.