KDSN Radio

Four people were injured and one of them died after an E-F-2 tornado tore through a good portion of Pottawattamie County. Pottawattamie County Public Relations Manager Craig Carlsen says the town of Minden was the hardest hit.

"The conditions inside Minden are still very unsafe. We've got homes that are in the middle of roads, we've got a lot of debris to clean up and so we're currently limiting access to Minden to residents only for the safety concerns, Carlsen says.  Carlsen says they are working toward improving access.

"We hope to open it up to more outside volunteers you know as things are cleaned up to a little bit more appropriate you know level," he says. Carlsen says the early warnings issued by the National Weather Service and the media--including a tornado emergency declared for Minden--prevented more storm casualties.

"We really are blessed that it wasn't worse to be honest with you as far as you know physical injury. To have just four storm-related injuries given the amount of physical damage that came through our area and all of southwest Iowa really it's pretty amazing," Carlsen says.

A curfew remains in effect in Minden from 10 p-m until 6 a-m until further notice. Carlsen says one of the biggest challenges facing response and recovery efforts is the influx of resources that haven't been requested.

"There's no communicated need for food water or emergency housing we're very grateful for that," he says. "But as that is the case officials are currently you know asking that any donation currently is in monetary form to help those impacted."

Five communities were hit by the tornado, including western portions of Council Bluffs, northeast of Crescent, east of McClelland, southwest of Treynor and Minden. Approximately 300 homes or businesses in the county were damaged or destroyed, including 48 alone in Minden. Donations can be made to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund at givewesterniowa.org.