(The Center Square) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent eight Minnesota All Hazards Incident Management Team members to the site of the Greenfield, Iowa tornado.
For 14 days, the team will help local first responders with volunteer management, debris cleanup and legal litigation. The MN-AHIMT are coming to the call of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a national policy that allows for any local government to ask for voluntary aid outside their own state.
“In Minnesota we’re no strangers to the devastation of tornadoes. We know the heartbreak that accompanies the loss of homes and businesses and the necessity of working together to rebuild,” Walz said. “In the wake of this storm, we are stepping up to support our neighbors. My heart goes out to the community of Greenfield as they recover.”
The EF-4 tornado tore through more than 40 miles of Iowa, killing five and injuring at least 35.
“I was just in Minden,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a news conference Wednesday, “and that was horrific. And I think there’s even more debris and just more impacted here. So, it is just horrific. It’s hard to describe until you can actually see it, the devastation.”
In the past, the MN-AHIMT has responded to emergencies far outside the Midwest. In 2022, they were deployed to DeSoto County, Florida to assist with Hurricane Ian recovery.
