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Fremont County town severely damaged by possible tornado

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April 14th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

THURMAN, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a small western Iowa community has been severely damaged by a possible tornado. Fremont County Emergency Management Director Mike Crecelius told The Associated Press on Saturday that about 75 percent of the town of Thurman was destroyed. He said there were no injuries and no deaths in the town of about 250 people.

Crecelius said the town was on lockdown Saturday night and wasn’t letting anyone in. He said town officials and residents expect to start cleaning up on Sunday. Crecelius said some residents had taken refuge in City Hall, which was the only building in town with power. Others were staying in a shelter, at motels or with relatives. The American Red Cross also set up a shelter at the Fremont-Mills High School, in Tabor, for displaced residents of Thurman.

Just before the storm hit Thurman, five semi tractor-trailers were blown over on Interstate 29. The wreckage slowed traffic on I-29 for several hours. The State Patrol said one trucker was injured, when a rig was blown over in Mills County, as well. It’s not clear how many truckers in all, were injured.