National Weather Service Determines Tornado in Iowa Came in with a Rating of an EF4

It has been a week of varied weather conditions across the U.S. with a deadly tornado tearing through the Midwest and several inches of snow falling across the Rocky Mountains. Here is a look back at some of the most significant weather events of the last few days, pointing to how May truly is a transitional month of conditions.

EF4 Tornado Kills at Least 4 People in Iowa

A volatile tornado ripped across Iowa on Tuesday evening, killing at least four people in the town of Greenfield. An investigation by the National Weather Service (NWS) determined that the tornado was an EF4 twister.

In addition to the four confirmed fatalities, there were also 35 injuries reported as a result of the tornado that cut a path through the center of Greenfield. The NWS said that preliminary investigations of the damage incurred by the twister indicate that peak winds hit speeds of 185 mph. These numbers could change in the coming days as more damage reports come into the agency.

This makes this tornado the strongest in over a year in the U.S. An EF4 last struck the U.S. on March 24, 2033 when a twister plowed through Rolling Fork, Mississippi with winds of 195 mph. It has been 11 years since the country has seen a top-rated EF tornado.