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.