A large tornado hit near Highway 159 just south of Winterset, Iowa, where a gas leak was reported afterward. Another tornado was reported just south of Norwalk, which is an outlying suburb of Des Moines.
All air traffic was suspended in the area, and a tornado warning had been issued for Des Moines.
People fled to shelter, including many who flocked to a tornado shelter in the Des Moines airport.
The tornadoes are part of a system moving through the Midwest late on Saturday afternoon and into the evening. Tornado warnings remain in effect for the towns of Moravia, Rathbun, and Iconium.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new details emerge.
