'Like a horror film': Footage shows city smashed by 'horrendous' winds

A terrifying video from inside a storm which caused millions of dollars worth of damage has left people aghast.

The US state of Iowa was lashed by a severe storm last Tuesday.

Governor Kim Reynolds said she’s seeking US$4 billion to fix damage after winds of up to 160km/h hit eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and parts of Illinois in the widespread storm classified as a "derecho" by the National Weather Service.

A derecho is a type of wind storm.

It impacted 5.6 million hectares of land in Iowa alone destroying a number of buildings and decimating crops.

Video shot by Jay Hook from Marshalltown, Iowa, shows the ferocious power of the derecho.

Rain is seen thrashing sideways, and such is the sheer power of the wind what’s believed to be a gas canister is seen rolling down the street.

People on YouTube said the video “looks like the opening scene of a horror movie”.

“I was in my garage when it hit. I thought I was a goner for a minute,” one viewer wrote.

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On Reddit, a viewer described the conditions as “horrendous” and another as “the worst storm” they had experienced in their lifetime.

Tim Kipping, who served as a Marine in Desert Storm, told KCRG an apartment building in his neighbourhood looks like it “was hit with artillery shells”.

Parts of Iowa still remain without power.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he had approved an emergency declaration for Iowa.

"It really did a lot of damage," he said.

Mr Trump visited Iowa on Tuesday.

with Reuters and The Associated Press

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