MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — Five years ago Tuesday, a devastating EF3 tornado ripped through Marshalltown and left the city in shambles.
It’s a day that is still fresh on the minds of those in Marshalltown. The tornado went directly through the business district and down the city’s main street, tearing apart businesses and lives.
“July 19th, 2018 … I actually was Director of the YMCA at the time and watched the tornado come through the downtown area,” said Carol Hibbs, who now serves as the Marshall County Supervisor. “It was a traumatic day for the community.”
In total, 12 tornadoes touched down that day, including an EF-3 tornado in Pella.
Five years later, city leaders feel they’re headed in the right direction and that the downtown area will continue to redevelop, day by day.
Marshalltown’s Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Hall said that while it generally takes about 10 years to fully recover from a natural disaster, they have surpassed where most communities would be after a major tornado.
They have experienced some challenges along the way, however.
“Getting some of the in-fill development is going to be the next big priority. That’s going to be a really challenging piece, and that might be the piece that holds us up,” Hall said.
Several buildings had to be demolished as a result of the destruction, and some prime spaces remain vacant, leaving the city without key businesses like coffee shops or clothing stores.
But in the coming months and years, Hall says they plan to get those vacancies filled.
The Marshalltown Courthouse, which suffered substantial damage, invited residents to come check out the new renovations. The rotunda spire, ripped off the building by the tornado, is now fully rebuilt.
“We’re celebrating today after five years of being out of the courthouse, getting back in and inviting the public back in,” Hibbs said.
Despite the destruction, the community has now found a silver lining, too. Hall says that the tornado has given some local businesses an opportunity to replace the rubble and destruction with something even better.
“It feels like there’s so much momentum around what’s happening,” he said. “We’re going to get filled storefronts with great businesses, it’s just a matter of time.”