‘Hope and regrowth’: Corn pops up around Greenfield after EF-4 tornado levels Iowa town

05:22

Corn emerges around Greenfield, Iowa after deadly tornado

Wendi Lane, a resident of Greenfield, shared with FOX Weather when she first noticed the corn popping up.

GREENFIELD, Iowa – Stalks of corn have sprouted around Greenfield, Iowa, as residents work to rebuild their community after a devastating tornado during the spring.

Home to about 2,000 people, Greenfield was hit by an EF-4 tornado on May 22, with peak wind speeds reaching 175-185 mph.

As the storm barreled through the town about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines, it also scattered corn from nearby farmland. Nearly two months after the tornado struck, young corn stalks have been spotted growing along sidewalks and roadsides.

Corn grows throughout Greenfield, Iowa, after the town was devastated by an EF-4 tornado in May. 

(Wendi Rae / Facebook / FOX Weather)

"It’s kind of neat!" said Greenfield resident Wendi Lane.

Aside from being quite a spectacle, the corn stalks are a powerful symbol for Lane.

"It's been really overwhelming since the tornado," she said. "Dealing with losing a portion of our town and all the loss, heartbreak, and strain that comes with that. So when I noticed the corn stalks coming up all along the tornado path through Greenfield, it felt like that was a sense of hope and regrowth."

‘MY WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS FLATTENED’: GREENFIELD RESIDENT RECOUNTS SURVIVING EF-4 TORNADO

Damage and several deaths were reported in Greenfield, Iowa, on Tuesday after a large and violent tornado struck the town located about 60 miles southwest of Des Moines.

(Chris Juhn / FOX Weather)

The tornado that struck Greenfield became the strongest measured tornado so far of 2024, killing five people and injuring dozens along its 44-mile trek.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Corn is a signature crop of Iowa, which produces the most corn of any state, according to the State Historical Society of Iowa.