Tornadoes Kill One in Iowa as Storms Hammer Central US

Nearly 700 severe weather events struck over three days, killing at least one man in Iowa and trapping another under tornado rubble in Illinois before a police officer and photojournalist pulled him free.

One man died in Iowa after a tree fell on him during the severe weather outbreak.
Nearly 700 severe weather events were recorded across the central United States over a three-day period.
An Illinois man was rescued from tornado debris by a police officer and a photojournalist.
Extreme heat and humidity pushed into the north-east as the storm system expanded.
The outbreak ranks among the most active multi-day severe weather stretches recorded in the region this year.

At least one person is dead and communities across the central United States are assessing damage after nearly 700 severe weather events were recorded over three days, the Guardian reported Thursday.

An Iowa man died after a tree fell on him during the outbreak. In Illinois, a man trapped in tornado rubble was pulled to safety by a police officer and a photojournalist working at the scene.

The storms tore through the Midwest before the weather pattern shifted east, pushing extreme heat and humidity into the north-east. Forecasters warned the combination of high temperatures and heavy moisture would stress residents already rattled by the tornado activity to the west.

Emergency management teams in Iowa and Illinois were still conducting damage assessments as of Thursday. Federal disaster declarations had not been announced as of filing time.

The National Weather Service was expected to release updated storm tallies and impact assessments through the weekend as crews completed ground surveys across affected counties.