(Des Moines, IA) — The National Weather Service says Wednesday’s tornado outbreak was the third-largest in Iowa history. Des Moines Meteorologist Brook Hagenhoff initially said there were 12 tornadoes in central and western Iowa, and that number didn’t includes areas covered by the N-W-S offices in Davenport and La Crosse. Hagenhoff says the new combined tally is a preliminary total of 26 tornadoes statewide. She says the northeast had two tornadoes and then another 12 occurred across southeast Iowa. The total number may actually rise further in the days ahead as the agency coordinates with emergency managers across Iowa and studies high-resolution satellite photos. Hagenhoff says the strongest twister was an EF-3 in Lake City that had wind speeds between 136 and 145 miles an hour. Despite the widespread outbreak of severe storms, no serious injuries were reported.
