Officials: 7 dead after tornado tore through central Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say seven people are dead after a tornado swept through central Iowa, damaging homes, knocking down trees and toppling power lines. Emergency management officials in Madison County said six people were killed when the tornado touched down Saturday in an area southwest of Des Moines near the town of Winterset. Among those killed were two children under the age of 5. Officials also confirmed one death in Lucas County, about 54 miles southeast of Des Moines. Thunderstorms that spawned tornadoes moved through much of Iowa for hours with storms also causing damage in the Des Moines suburb of Norwalk, areas just east of Des Moines and in other parts of eastern Iowa.