Tornadoes Kill 8 in Iowa and Minnesota

A mound of debris and an American flag are all that is left of a convenience store in Parkersburg, Iowa.

Photo: AP Photo/Kevin Sanders

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Just days after twisters in northern Colorado left one dead, the latest outbreak of killer tornadoes over the weekend claimed at least eight lives and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and businesses.

Much of Parkersburg, Iowa, was destroyed, and the damage was extensive in Hugo, Minnesota.

There have been 930 tornadoes reported this year, a tally not seen until August on average, according to Storm Prediction Center data. While the figure is inflated because some storms are reported twice, storm watchers say this is an extraordinary, if not unprecedented, tornado season. The tally still represents 73% of the total tornadoes expected in an entire year.

The 111 reported deaths to date are significantly more than the death count seen in recent years. The 2008 tornado season is the deadliest in a decade and on pace to be the deadliest ever recorded in the United States.

This could be a harbinger of things to come. Some scientists have warned that global warming will create conditions that make violent tornadoes more frequent.

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