ELDORA - A freak hail storm and high winds blasted Eldora and surrounding communities Sunday.

At least 11 people from Eldora were sent to hospitals in Grundy Center and Iowa Falls, said Eldora City Administrator Patrick Ian Rigg.

He said none of the injuries are life threatening. They include cuts and bruises.

Paramedics treated an number of other people at the scene, and their injuries didn't warrant further medical care, Rigg said.

The storm ripped through Hardin and Grundy counties at about 11 a.m., shattering windows and shredding siding. Exposed homes and businesses then suffered additional damage from torrential rains.

"Most of our buildings have hail or wind damage," Rigg said.

Throughout town, residents were covering broken windows with plywood, clearing tree limbs and leftover hail Sunday afternoon.

"I was shoveling leaves. I've never done that before," said Jill Hollander of Steamboat Rock, who was in Eldora fixing up a home she is selling on contract.

Rigg said the whole town is without power, and the Red Cross set up an emergency shelter at the high school on the edge of town. He said a backup generator was brought in to power the shelter.

The worst damage came from a brick chimneny on the American Legaion Hall that toppled in heavy winds. The plummeting masonry knocked out part of the roof and littered the rear parking lot and alley with bricks.

"It just blew over," said John Elacqua, who owns Elacqua's Broken Tee restaurant behind the Legion hall.

Elacqua said the falling chimney broke though parts of the hall that are long-vacant apartments.

Grundy Center's damage was limited to downed tree limbs and power lines, said Patrolman Terry Oltman with the Grundy Center Police Department. He said a small building at the golf course was destroyed, as was a storage building on the north edge of town.

Oltman said there was also major street flooding that quickly subsided.

He said there were no injuries reported in town.