Western Iowa town of Minden pulls together after devastating and deadly EF-3 tornado

SAYS NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT SOME OF THE WORST DAMAGE IS WEST OF US IN MINDEN IN POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY. THIS MASSIVE, VIOLENT TORNADO ON THE LEFT WAS JUST GIVEN A PRELIMINARY EF THREE RATING. IT WIPED HOUSES OFF THEIR FOUNDATIONS IN HALF THE TOWN. LOOK AT THESE PICTURES. ONE MAN DIED FROM HIS INJURIES AFTER THE STORM. ��vlog’S MARCUS MCINTOSH SHOWS US THE COMMUNITY PULLING TOGETHER TO HELP THESE DIRECTLY IMPACTED MARCUS. WE ARE ABOUT A MILE OUTSIDE THE SMALL POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY TOWN OF MINDEN, A TOWN OF ABOUT 600 PEOPLE THAT WAS DEVASTATED BY FRIDAY’S TORNADO. MONDAY AFTERNOON WE GOT OUR FIRST LOOK INSIDE THE TOWN TO SEE THE DAMAGE CLOSE UP. THE DEVASTATION FROM THE TORNADO IS JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE, RIPPING APART EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH. HOMES WERE DESTROYED, HOMES THAT WERE NOT DESTROYED SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, LEAVING PIECES OF HOMES ALL OVER TOWN. A COUPLE WAS AT HOME WHEN THE TORNADO HIT. THEY SAY THEY WENT TO THEIR BASEMENT WHEN WORD SPREAD THE STORM WAS HEADING THEIR WAY, THINKING THIS MAY BE THE END. IT WAS KIND OF CRAZY AND A LITTLE BIT SCARY, AND I SEEN THE HAIL COMING DOWN. I THOUGHT, WELL, IF IT’S COMING, IT’S GOING TO BE NOW. AND WE WENT DOWN THERE AND THEN THE NOISE STARTED AND WHEN IT LIFTED, MY HOUSE UP, THAT WAS SCARY. WHEN IT COME BACK DOWN, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. PEOPLE OF MENDON ARE BATTERED BUT NOT BROKEN. THEY ARE COMING TOGETHER TO HELP THEIR COMMUNITY CLEAN UP FROM THE TORNADO. WITH ALL THIS DEVASTATION, CLEANUP MAY TAKE A WHILE IN POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY. MARCUS

Monday we got our first look inside Minden, Iowa — the small Pottawattamie County town of about 600 people that was devastated by Friday's tornado. Lifelong Minden resident Sara Arnold was one of dozens whose home was completely destroyed."My faith in Christ — it just gets you through things like this," Arnold said.She is not alone.The Ingram family was home when the storm barreled over their house. They went to their basement and, being honest, weren't sure they were going to survive. "It was kind of crazy and a little bit scary. I seen the hail coming down and I thought if it's coming it's gonna be now. And we went down there and the noise started. When it lifted my house that was scary. When it came back down I thought I was going to die," Gene Ingram said.Dennis Kahler lives just outside of town. He is surrounded by a pile of debris that tells the story of what his family lost in the aftermath of the tornado."Everything is gone. All our buildings are gone fortunately part of the house is left," Dennis Kahler said.Pottawattamie County Emergency Management says they have enough resources to help with cleanup efforts for the next few weeks.More coverage from Minden, Iowa

MINDEN, Iowa —

Monday we got our first look inside Minden, Iowa — the small Pottawattamie County town of about 600 people that was devastated by Friday's tornado.

Lifelong Minden resident Sara Arnold was one of dozens whose home was completely destroyed.

"My faith in Christ — it just gets you through things like this," Arnold said.

She is not alone.

The Ingram family was home when the storm barreled over their house. They went to their basement and, being honest, weren't sure they were going to survive.

"It was kind of crazy and a little bit scary. I seen the hail coming down and I thought if it's coming it's gonna be now. And we went down there and the noise started. When it lifted my house that was scary. When it came back down I thought I was going to die," Gene Ingram said.

Dennis Kahler lives just outside of town. He is surrounded by a pile of debris that tells the story of what his family lost in the aftermath of the tornado.

"Everything is gone. All our buildings are gone fortunately part of the house is left," Dennis Kahler said.

Pottawattamie County Emergency Management says they have enough resources to help with cleanup efforts for the next few weeks.