Progress – Buildings hit hard by the tornado then and now
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS Then: Minutes after the tornado devastated downtown Marshalltown, residents and city-goers tried to walk, bike or drive their way back to their homes. Those journeys were made difficult by fallen debris and traffic that Thursday evening.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS Now: Crews are hard at work fixing and cleaning up the downtown area. In many spots, bricks, glass shards, nails, tree limbs and other debris has been removed from Main Street, but the roadway will continue to be closed periodically while crews are at work.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Then: The Marshall County Courthouse lost its historic tower in the tornado. Debris cluttered the roads and grass surrounding the building.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Work is being done to repair the Courthouse. Much of the repairs needed are due to water damage. The building is now fenced off to give crews space to work and as a means of protection. Repairs could take a year, officials say.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Moments after the tornado, a giant tree sat in the road after being split in half like a toothpick. Other debris littered the road and cars were turned every direction with many receiving damage.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Just days after the tornado, most of the trees and debris had been cleared from the intersection and it is now functional again. Buildings nearby received roof, window and other structural damage.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BLOBAUM The JBS Marshalltown distribution facility was another piece of the city’s industry sector to take a blow from the tornado. Operations at the plant briefly stopped before being ramped back up the following week.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS The distribution center is now undergoing repairs and many normal operations have been going on at the location. It was announced Wednesday that JBS USA would donate $1 million to disaster relief in Marshalltown.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BLOBAUM The Lennox Industries plant on the northeast side of Marshalltown was hit especially hard in the tornado. The damage the plant took that afternoon was significant. Parts of the building caved in, leaving it destroyed.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS A few days after the tornado, Lennox announced they would rebuild. First, they have to clean up the campus. It is among Marshalltown’s top employers.
T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Owner/operator Win Kyaw is temporarily operating the business out of his home at 206 Thomas Drive before finding a new place to set up shop. In this photo, taken August 3, one can see much of the debris has been cleared.
T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Goldenland Asian Food Market, 31 N. Center St., was completely destroyed in the tornado. This photo, taken July 31, shows the beginning stages of the cleanup efforts.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKERACOM building shows immediate damage moments after the tornado. Entire sides of the building were stripped off, exposing it to the outside world.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS Then: Minutes after the tornado devastated downtown Marshalltown, residents and city-goers tried to walk, bike or drive their way back to their homes. Those journeys were made difficult by fallen debris and traffic that Thursday evening.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS Now: Crews are hard at work fixing and cleaning up the downtown area. In many spots, bricks, glass shards, nails, tree limbs and other debris has been removed from Main Street, but the roadway will continue to be closed periodically while crews are at work.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Then: The Marshall County Courthouse lost its historic tower in the tornado. Debris cluttered the roads and grass surrounding the building.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Work is being done to repair the Courthouse. Much of the repairs needed are due to water damage. The building is now fenced off to give crews space to work and as a means of protection. Repairs could take a year, officials say.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Moments after the tornado, a giant tree sat in the road after being split in half like a toothpick. Other debris littered the road and cars were turned every direction with many receiving damage.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKE Just days after the tornado, most of the trees and debris had been cleared from the intersection and it is now functional again. Buildings nearby received roof, window and other structural damage.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BLOBAUM The JBS Marshalltown distribution facility was another piece of the city’s industry sector to take a blow from the tornado. Operations at the plant briefly stopped before being ramped back up the following week.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS The distribution center is now undergoing repairs and many normal operations have been going on at the location. It was announced Wednesday that JBS USA would donate $1 million to disaster relief in Marshalltown.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BLOBAUM The Lennox Industries plant on the northeast side of Marshalltown was hit especially hard in the tornado. The damage the plant took that afternoon was significant. Parts of the building caved in, leaving it destroyed.
T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS A few days after the tornado, Lennox announced they would rebuild. First, they have to clean up the campus. It is among Marshalltown’s top employers.
T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Owner/operator Win Kyaw is temporarily operating the business out of his home at 206 Thomas Drive before finding a new place to set up shop. In this photo, taken August 3, one can see much of the debris has been cleared.
T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Goldenland Asian Food Market, 31 N. Center St., was completely destroyed in the tornado. This photo, taken July 31, shows the beginning stages of the cleanup efforts.
T-R PHOTO BY EMILY BARSKERACOM building shows immediate damage moments after the tornado. Entire sides of the building were stripped off, exposing it to the outside world.
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The extent of damage to some of the most prominent buildings in Marshalltown varies from location to location. Some buildings received minor damage, while buildings next to them may be.
Many parts of Marshalltown's recovery and cleanup from the July 19 tornado will take a long time. Still, progress is being made to some of the buildings and businesses hit hardest by the tornado in a little more than two weeks' time. For this compilation, our staff went back to the scenes we saw moments or soon after the tornado. Here's what it looked like.