Widespread damage to homes, businesses and crops was reported across western and northern Iowa after overnight thunderstorms brought heavy rain and strong winds approaching 70 miles an hour. Montgomery County emergency management coordinator Brian Hamman says severe storms rolled through Villisca at around 2 A-M. “I was out and followed the storms and entered the city of Villisca and found numerous tree limbs down,” Hamman says. “About the same time, the Villisca Fire Department was paged out to Forsman Farms, the chicken farm just southwest of town, for significant damage.”

Forsman Farms damage (Brian Hamman – Montgomery EMA photos)

He says the damage at that facility is incredible. “The chicken plant at Forsman Farms sustained significant damage to pretty much every building, from minor roof damage to significant damage,” Hamman says. “The walkway has been blown off completely between two buildings and multiple garage doors were ripped out.”

In addition, Hamman says Villisca’s Municipal Power Plant sustained significant roof damage. “They’ve had the majority of their roof blown off,” he says. “They have a pitched roof on top of a flat roof and the majority of that pitch is off.”

Villisca Power Plant

Downed trees and tree limbs dot the community and cleanup operations were underway Thursday morning. “The city of Villisca is taking care of all the tree branches that are down in the roadways and Forsman Farms has already contracted with a contractor to come out and make the repairs that are needed,” Hamman says. “Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like any of their chickens were affected and they still have electricity and are business as usual.”

(Radio Iowa)