Washington, May 23, (dpa/GNA) – Four people were killed and at least 35 more were injured after a tornado hit the US Midwest, Iowa authorities said on Wednesday.

The tornado hit town of Greenfield, south-west of Des Moines, on Tuesday afternoon, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

“The number of those injured is likely higher, but these numbers reflect only those patients treated for their injuries at designated alternate care sites,” the statement continued.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Des Moines put the intensity of the tornado at EF-3 on a scale of 0 to 5 on the Fujita scale. The scale measures the intensity of a tornado based on the amount of damage caused.

“Additional damage evaluation will continue over the next several days and results are subject to change,” the service said in a post on social media platform X. “Additional tornado paths and ratings will be added as data continues to be collected.”

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell on Thursday would travel to Iowa to “meet with local officials and affected residents and survey the damage.”

“We are praying for those who tragically lost their lives as deadly tornadoes that… ripped through Iowa,” Jean-Pierre said in a press briefing in Washington. “We are also wishing a speedy recovery to those who were injured.”

GNA