Twisters sweep across nation's midsection, killing eight

Jeff Anderson, left, helps Billy Pierce move a horse away from debris on a farm in Dunkerton, Iowa, on Sunday.

Tornadoes swept through the Midwest on Sunday, killing seven people in Iowa and a toddler in Minnesota.

A tornado touched down in the north-central Iowa town of Parkersburg at about 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET), killing five before moving 10 miles east to New Hartford, where two others died in the storm, said Troy Price, a spokesman for Gov. Chet Culver.

Spotters also reported a tornado near Dunkerton -- about 40 miles east of Parkersburg -- that they said caused considerable damage and flung debris as the storm moved at 23 miles per hour. Marble-sized hail fell over Waterloo, where authorities reported significant damage to homes, trees and power lines.

"Early reports indicate that these communities have suffered severe and widespread damage, and I plan to visit the region very soon to offer my support to those affected," Culver said in a prepared statement. He declared disaster areas in three counties.

Meanwhile, a Minnesota twister killed a 2-year-old child and seriously injured nine other people -- including another child -- in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The tornado struck Hugo, about 25 miles north of the Twin Cities, destroying 50 homes and damaging another 150, city manager Mike Ericson told CNN.

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado in Hugo that touched down just after 5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. ET), and authorities reported twisters in nearby Coon Rapids and Blain.

Video from the scene showed chairs, televisions, shingles and other debris tossed into the streets of the 11,500-population Hugo. Nickel-sized hail and larger pelted the suburb.

Sgt. Rick Boone of the Coon Rapids Police Department said a twister cut through the middle of town, downing trees and causing minor damage to several homes. No fatalities or injuries were immediately reported.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty planned to meet with local authorities Monday afternoon and tour the affected areas.

Earlier in the day, authorities in Moore County, Texas, reported sightings of three twisters, though details were not immediately available.

On Saturday, tornadoes formed over northern Oklahoma, skipping across the rural landscape and severely damaging a hog farm about an hour northwest of Oklahoma City. There were no reports of injuries, officials said.

However, two people were found dead in south-central Kansas on Saturday in a car accident that authorities said was caused by a tornado.