Here is more information about the damage and recovery efforts from the tornado that tore through Marshalltown on Thursday.

Updates at 7 p.m.

McFarland Clinic announced that the 312 East Main Street Office will be open for patient care on Monday, July 23.

To assist the community with additional medical services, McFarland Clinic will have appointment times available on Saturday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Southside Office located at 303 Nicholas Drive.

Weekend medical services:

McFarland Southside Office: Saturday, July 21 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 641-752-0099

McFarland Express Care Hy-Vee: Saturday, July 21 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 22 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 641-844-5200

Updates at 4:30 p.m.

The McFarland Southside Office and Express Care are open for patients with urgent care needs. McFarland is continuing to assess damage at its 312 East Main Street Office.

The Marshall County Clerk of Court Office will be closed Monday, July 23, 2018. All court hearings scheduled at the courthouse for June 23 are cancelled. Litigants will be notified as to when their cases have been rescheduled. Jurors summoned for service July 23 do not need to report. On Tuesday, July 24, 2018, the Marshall County civil division will be in the Story County Clerk of Court Office, 1315 South B Avenue, Nevada; and the criminal and traffic divisions and magistrate hearings will be in Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, 2369 Jessup Avenue, Marshalltown. For attorneys and self-represented litigants with questions about court matters in Marshall County, call 515-382-7420.

U.S. Cellular released the following statement. They are “providing resources to all central Iowa residents who have been impacted by Thursday’s tornadoes. In order to keep them connected to loved ones, U.S. Cellular will provide free Wi-Fi, chargers and portable power packs at the following locations during regular store hours:

· U.S. Cellular, 901 S. Center St., Marshalltown, IA 50158

· Next Generation Wireless, 2500 S. Center St., Marshalltown, IA 50158”

Updates at 3 p.m. Friday

Gov. Kim Reynolds toured the tornado damage. On the efforts of the Marshalltown community, Reynolds said, “Unbelievable, amazing and inspiring how people come together. Our emergency managers in these communities have been amazing. They work hand in hand with first responders. The coordination and communication has been unbelievable.”

More: http://www.timesrepublican.com/news/todays-news/2018/07/gov-reynolds-tours-marshalltown-tornado-damage/

The Wizard of Oz will still be playing at the Martha-Ellen Tye Theater as previously scheduled. More info here: http://www.timesrepublican.com/news/todays-news/2018/07/the-wizard-of-oz-opens-friday/

Updates at 2 p.m. Friday

The Red Cross established the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA as emergency shelter for those displaced by the tornado. The Y is located at 108 Washington Street. This new shelter location will be open and accepting new shelter clients at 3 p.m. Friday.

Last night the Red Cross shelter served 28 people at the Meskwaki Conference Center in Tama. Those who wish to remain in the Red Cross shelter and do not have transportation will be shuttled to The Y by the Meskwaki Casino and Hotel shuttle.

All who need shelter are eligible to stay at the Red Cross shelter at the Marshalltown YMCA.

“Emergency response vehicles are now in the hardest hit neighborhoods in Marshalltown providing water, snacks and supplies for the cleanup effort,” the Red Cross said in a statement. “Hy-Vee is also supporting our feeding efforts and will be providing food for the Red Cross to deliver in the community and serve at the shelter.”

The House of Compassion said there will be sack lunches handed out in the parking lot south of the House of Compassion at 5 p.m. tonight that will be served until they are gone.

“A big thank you to the Honey Creek Friends Church in New Providence for this meal,” the House of Compassion said in a statement. “When we called to cancel the meal tonight, they took it upon themselves to make sure there would be food at 5.”

The Marshalltown CBOC – VA Clinic is still open and patients can go to their appointments.

Nationwide released the following statement:

“Nationwide claim representatives and agents are beginning to assist members in response to the severe storms and tornadoes that struck central Iowa Thursday.

‘The safety of our members and our associates is the number one priority,’ said Ken Enscoe, Nationwide’s senior director of catastrophe claims operations. ‘Claims associates are already resolving claims by phone and will be physically on-site as soon as conditions allow.’

Members with storm damage should call the Nationwide claims hotline at 1-800-421-3535, visit www.nationwide.com/insurance-claims-center.jsp or contact their local agent.

‘We’ll be addressing our hardest-hit members first. Those homes with a tree through a wall, an exposed roof or other claims in which the home has become uninhabitable are the priority,’Enscoe said. ‘Claims associates will also focus efforts in those communities with the greatest concentration of property damage.’

There are often delays in more serious claims being reported/investigated because access to the properties can be limited by storm damage.

To prevent further interior damage or loss, Nationwide encourages all members to safely make temporary repairs and offers the following tips:

· Holes in roofs and broken windows should be covered with plastic or plywood

· Secure your property to prevent theft or vandalism.

· An itemized list of the home’s damaged or destroyed contents can assist members in addressing their claim, based on their policy limits and other coverage factors.

· Prevent the growth of bacteria and mildew. Immediately inventory and place all moist content material outside the structure to dry out.

· For structural damages, speak with your claims representative about help in finding a local contractor that can work with your adjuster on the scope and price of repairs.

· Use fans to circulate air and assist with drying after removing standing water and establishing it is safe to reconnect electricity.

· Use an air conditioner and dehumidifier if available.

· Keep thermostat set at or below 70 degrees – increasing the thermostat could promote growth of bacteria and mildew.

· Retain nonperishable damaged items to allow for property evaluation.”

Updates at 1 p.m. Friday

The curfew in Marshalltown will continue tonight. Curfew will begin at 9 p.m. and expire at 5 a.m. tomorrow.

Marshalltown City Hall is closed today. This impacts Finance, Engineering, Parks and Recreation and Housing and Community Development. More information about hours for next week will be posted when available.

As the city continues to begin to clean up debris and tree damage, citizens can access the following resources.

The Compost Facility at 901 Woodland Street will be open for free tree debris drop-off until further notice, closing at 8 p.m. each evening. No building debris will be accepted.

The City has placed a dumpster for the disposal of storm debris from the downtown damage. The dumpster is located behind the Tremont building in the parking lot.

The Salvation Army will be registering volunteers at their Hy-Vee location. If you would like to volunteer or need a volunteer please stop by the Salvation Army while they are set up at Hy-Vee.

State Farm released the following statement:

“I wanted to share that Wells Fargo’s downtown Marshalltown branch sustained limited damage when the tornado struck on Thursday. We are thankful there were no injuries to customers or team members,” said Steve Carlson, vice president of Wells Fargo Corporate Communications. “Once power is restored, we will be able to further assess impact to technology and make any repairs needed to reopen the branch. In the meantime, we encourage customers to visit our Marshalltown South branch at 2703 Center St.”

From Kelly Pargett, Public Affairs Brand Promotion Specialist —

“State Farm agents have been on the ground assessing damage since the tornadoes hit yesterday. In addition to the local resources working the storm, a deployed catastrophe team from across the country is assisting in recovery. We encourage customers to start the claim process as soon as they can and take steps — once safe — to prevent further damage.

Customers can start the claim process by contacting their agent, calling 1-800-SFCLAIM, using the State Farm mobile app or reporting a claim through www.statefarm.com.

We are encouraging policyholders to report damage and here’s how:

Insurance Considerations —

· Document damage by taking photos

· If you make temporary repairs to prevent further damage, remember to keep your receipts, so you’ll have a record for the claim adjuster for reimbursements. And take pictures of those repairs.

· If you have experienced a power outage, never use candles for emergency lighting, use flashlights. Disconnect any appliances, equipment or electronics that were on when the power went out.

· When power comes back on, it may come back with momentary “surges” or “spikes” that can damage computers and motors in air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. Leave one light on so you know when the power returns.

· Avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer. This will help keep your food as fresh as possible. Be sure to check food for signs of spoilage.

· Use generators safely. If you have a portable generator, only run it outdoors with adequate ventilation. Never use a generator indoors or in attached garages. The exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, which can be deadly if inhaled.

· Your homeowner policy may cover spoiled food and other damages as a result of power outages, subject to the deductible. Check with your insurance company to see if your homeowner policy covers damages resulting from outages.

Contractor Tips —

While there are many good contractors in the state, please be wary of those who might try to capitalize on the storm:

· Don’t pay anything up front.

· Get everything in writing.

· Get references and a physical business address of the contractor.

· Do not accept an offer for a contractor to pay your deductible as an incentive to get your business.

· Be cautious of contractors doing the same work for considerably less money than other bids received.

Additional updates at noon Friday

Power outages:

Just under 6,000 Alliant Energy customers in Marshalltown remain without power Friday afternoon, according to Alliant spokesperson Justin Foss.

Foss said more than 4,000 customers have been restored in the impacted area on the north side of Marshalltown.

“With the extent of damage here we’re going to have to rebuild from scratch in some areas,” Foss said.

The city will see a strong presence of workers in the area for what Foss called a multi-day recovery effort. Crews are working from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, he said.

Residents should not expect gas to be turned back on today or possibly tomorrow, Foss said.

“We’re still in the assessing phase,” he said. “We completed our system safety procedures and we’re finishing up back work on that and beginning repairs.”

Main Street businesses have underline power lines, but there is no timeline for power to be restored at this time.

Governor visit:

Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, along with Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Acting Director Joyce Flinn, will tour areas impacted by severe storms and tornadoes on Friday, July 20, 2018. They are touring Marshalltown Friday afternoon. U.S. Rep. Rod Blum is also set to tour the destruction.

Meskwaki assistance:

Officials said 28 people spent the night at Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. People met at the fire station and were then bussed out there. A new overnight shelter is supposed to be announced later this afternoon.

Meskwaki Nation released the following information about assistance. “Some of our tribal members and families have been impacted by this disaster, and the tribe has put immediate supports into place including the following:

Shelter: Impacted families are able to stay at the Best Western located at 2210 West. St. South Grinnell in the city of Grinnell.

Clean up: The apprenticeship program will be providing immediate cleanup services to impacted families in Marshalltown.

Emergency Funds: Meskwaki Tribal operations will be providing gift cards to families with immediate needs for food, toiletries, and infant/toddler supplies.

Families affected by the storm can come to the Senior Center for lunch and have access to the Food Pantry.

Anyone receiving assistance will need to fill out an emergency assistance form and provide identification and proof of address with a license/state id/tribal id and utility bill or another proof of address. Forms will be available at the tribal center and on the Meskwaki Nation website. Gift cards can be picked up at the Executive Office today from 9-4:30pm and after hours by contacting Oliviah Walker at 641-481-5031 and arranging pick up.

Tribal Operations is collecting water/Gatorade donations to assist with relief efforts.”

Other updates:

· Two Catholic radio stations, KCRM and KDNH, are off the air indefinitely, said CEO Bob Dick.

· Glenwood Place and a sister company in Ankeny said they both have some units available for displaced seniors of Marshalltown, Brooke Davis, Community Relations Coordinator for Glenwood Place Retirement Community said in an email to the T-R. For additional information, please call her at Glenwood Place. 641-752-8410.

Updates from Friday morning

· As damage assessment continues locals are asked to stay away from impacted areas. At a press conference Friday morning Marshalltown officials said there were no causalities and no serious injuries.

· Local police, fire and other first responders were praised for tremendous work under remarkable circumstances at the press conference.

· UnityPoint-Marshalltown took a direct hit at 4:40 p.m., according to officials. The hospital transferred 43 patients to other facilities. Pam Delagardelle, president of Waterloo region for UnityPoint Health, reported UnityPoint – Marshalltown took a direct hit at 4:40 p.m. yesterday. There were 43 patients transferred to various facilities. No patients or staff were injured, she said.

· The Marshalltown Art Fest that was set for Saturday in downtown Marshalltown was cancelled.

· The House of Compassion is closed until further notice because there is too much structural impact to be safe. They ask that people please stay away from the building.

· JBS and Lennox, two of Marshalltown’s largest employers, both sustained significant damage. Both were closed today and will open as they are able.

More information from what we knew yesterday here: http://www.timesrepublican.com/news/todays-news/2018/07/things-to-know-about-the-impact-of-the-marshalltown-tornado/