A “large and extremely dangerous tornado” struck early Thursday in eastern Iowa, reported the National Weather Service, which urged people around the Midwest to be on alert for severe weather.
The weather agency noted that at 5:46 p.m. (6:45 p.m. ET) a “confirmed” twister moving northeast at 40 mph was spotted near Camanche, Iowa. Clinton County — which includes Camanche — and nearby Carroll County, Illinois, were among the areas threatened by the system.
“This is a particularly dangerous situation,” the service said.
This tornado is part of a broader severe weather pattern that was expected to affect about 95 million people Thursday, including those in major cities such as Chicago and St. Louis.
Eight tornadoes were reported Wednesday in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Tornado sirens blared Wednesday night in Kansas as several storms brought reports of twisters.
Spotters reported a tornado a few miles west of Wichita. That storm moved to the northeast, missing the city, but posing potential risks to other communities.
Other reports of tornadoes came in from southwestern Kansas, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Not too far away, the National Weather Service indicated a tornado may have touched down in the small town of Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles from St. Louis.
More storms are expected in the Midwest, Mississippi River Valley, Tennessee River Valley and near the southern Great Lakes, the Weather Service said.