(Southwest Iowa) A strong line of storms swept across southwest and southern Iowa Friday night, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and reports of hail.
The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for nearly every county south of Interstate 80 in southwest Iowa as the storms moved through the region.
Tornado warnings were also issued for portions of Mills County and southeastern Cass County after radar indicated storms capable of producing a tornado. No tornadoes were immediately confirmed.
The storms prompted multiple reports of severe weather, including large hail, heavy rain, and damaging wind gusts, as they tracked east across the area.
A funnel cloud was reported at 9:48 p.m., approximately three miles west of Lorimor in Union County. The report was received later from a member of the public.
In Cass County, quarter-sized hail measuring 1.00 inch in diameter was reported at 11:00 p.m. four miles south of Massena, according to emergency management officials.
Ten minutes later, a mesonet site recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 59 mph seven miles southeast of Griswold. A 60 miles per hour wind gust was also reported in Orient, seven miles southeast of Greenfield, and southwest of Grant. One to two-inch-diameter tree limbs are down in Essex, 59-mile-per-hour wind gusts were reported eight miles northeast of Carson, and a 69-mile-per-hour wind gust was reported six miles west of Macedonia.
Power outages are reported in the Cumberland and Massena areas, and field flooding south of Cumberland. Photo courtesy of Nick Hensley.
At 11:18 p.m., additional reports from south of Massena indicated ping pong ball-sized hail measuring 1.50 inches in diameter. Observers also reported power flashes in the area.
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