Homes and business were severely damaged by a tornado which struck a town in western Iowa on Saturday evening.

The torndao was about three-quarters of a mile wide. Almost half of the town had been damaged by the tornado. However, there were no reports of deaths or any serious injuries, according to Mount County Sheriff’s Sgt. Roger Krohn.

Students and casts performing a stage act on a local school in Mapleton were sent to an underground locker rooms when sirens alarmed. Officials went door-to-door to check on the situation of the residents.

Forecasters previously warned severe weather in the Midwest over the weekend. They said the first front of spring warmth will possibly bring strong and volatile storms, which include tornadoes, to the areas in Midwest and South.

Lightning struck Burke County Fairgrounds in Morganton while thunderstorms showered the city with ball-sized hail.

The News Herald reported that seven people were found on the fairgrounds. They were transported to a nearby hospital by an ambulance. However, their status were not immediately identified.

Lead forecaster in Norman, Okla’s National Storm Prediction Center, Jack Hales said the occurence of strong storms, tornadoes and hails, are typical stuation during springtime. Too much heat and weather instability causes pretty organized, yet severe thunderstorms, he said.

The peak season of tornadoes in the United States runs from March until early July. The tornado was caused by a front of warm air rushing towards north across the mid-area of the United States.

More last-minute shoppers came to several U.S stores this year than last year’s final Saturday before Christmas. Also, shopper spending is expected to go even higher during the latter part of the week.

According to the research firm ShopperTrak, U.S sales went up on Saturday as many people continued shopping for gifts. Sales were up 15.1 percent from last year. However, this year also profited most than last year because of the blizzard that hit the East Coast.

But, many shoppers are still procrastinating with less than a week left before Christmas. About 23 million shoppers are still expected to be out on Christmas Eve according to a survey done by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

As Christmas nears, consumers have increased their shopping pace and purchases. Retail shops are also shaping up to get favorable holiday sales and December performances.

December 23 is considered to be the year’s second biggest day when it comes to shopping sales and the third biggest foot traffic, according to ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin. The foot traffic on Saturday was up 10.1 percent in comparison to last year’s record.

Almost three quarters of Americans are already done with their shopping on Saturday. Last week, only half of the Americans completed their Christmas shopping.

The Saturday shopping mooed increased the retailers’ sales for the whole. ICSC-Goldsman Sachs weekly chain store sales index showed an increase of 4.2 percent sales from the previous year.

Yet, ICSC found that spending will not yet end on Christmas. Many consumers are still planning to go shopping a day after that, and will be out the whole week between Christmas and New Year.