(Des Moines) Severe storms began sweeping through western Iowa in the early afternoon on Thursday, extending into the eastern part of the state by evening.
Rod Donovan from the National Weather Service in Des Moines reported numerous instances of hail in west central and southwest Iowa. As the storm system progressed eastward, it also generated high winds and a few tornadoes. Notably, a confirmed tornado was reported seven miles east of Irwin, moving into northern Audubon County, where it passed through an open field.
A tornado was reported about two miles north of Little Sioux in Harrison County around 1:46 p.m., with emergency management officials reporting widespread damage, including numerous downed power lines and roofs torn off buildings along 120th Street. In addition, hail measuring up to 1.25 inches in diameter—about the size of half dollars—was reported four miles west of Pisgah.
While there were a few tornado reports north and east of Des Moines, some tree and outbuilding damage was noted east of Winterset. The storms also produced wind gusts reaching 70 miles per hour near Lamoni in extreme south-central Iowa. Tornado warnings were issued east of Iowa City, with similar wind gusts recorded near the Quad Cities. Donovan indicated that a couple of pleasant days are expected before the possibility of another round of strong-to-severe weather from Sunday into Monday.
