(Radio Iowa) – There’s still no official tally on how many houses were damaged or destroyed in Greenfield by Tuesday’s massive tornado — easily dozens — and the community shelter set up in the town’s Nodaway Valley High School remains a very busy place. Emily Holley, spokeswoman for the Iowa chapter of the American Red Cross, says the agency is planning to keep that shelter open at least for several more days.  “A lot of times when things like this happen, folks will stay in their homes for maybe a little bit longer, thinking, ‘Okay, I can make this work,’ and then, after a few days, they realize that maybe that’s not great,” Holley says. “That’s why we’re leaving the shelter open. That’s why we are available for folks who need a place to stay, or even just a place to kind of regroup.”

While Greenfield saw the worst damage, that was one of at least six tornadoes in Iowa on Tuesday, while there are reports of hail, high winds or flash flooding in at least another 40 counties. Holley says the Red Cross is working with storm survivors all over the state. “We also have teams going out in the emergency response vehicles, delivering relief supplies, gloves and tarps,” Holley says, “and it’s also a good opportunity for us to speak with folks who have been impacted, to get a handle on what they need and the services that we can provide.” Another important element in the disaster recovery process is being handled by what Holley calls spiritual care and mental health support.

A tornado-ravaged home in Greenfield. (Photo by Melissa Ehrman Johnson of Atlantic)

“Our hearts are with the folks of Greenfield and everyone who has been impacted. There has been loss of life and we want to make sure that people are taking care of their minds and their spirits through this time as well,” Holley says. “That is another service that we are offering and we have available for folks who need it.”

Those who need help can contact the agency at 1-800-RED CROSS, while Iowans who’d like to donate to the relief effort should visit: redcross.org/donate.