Caught in twister: Deputy’s bodycam records too-close encounter with Iowa tornado
RED OAK, Iowa - An Iowa deputy who was racing to evacuate campers at a campground as tornadoes pummeled the state got caught in a twister himself, and his body camera recorded the harrowing scene.
Sgt. Todd Dollen with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was trying to get campers at the Hacklebarney Campground to shelter. He succeeded in getting those to a safe shelter but as he was on his way to the equestrian side of the campground to check on campers there, he became trapped in the path of a tornado.
TORNADOES CAUSE DESTRUCTION IN IOWA AS DEADLY STORMS RACE ACROSS THE STATE
The intense winds knocked a tree down in front of his patrol cruiser, leaving Dollen to ride out the tornado inside. You can see trees bending and branches flying by the windshield as he grips the steering wheel and holds on through the storm.
After the storm passes, the Dollen radios for others to check on the campers at the other end of the campground.
The National Weather Service would later rate the tornado an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with 107 mph peak winds.
While the eastern end of the county sustained widespread tornado damage, there were no reports of any serious injuries from the storm, officials said.
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