(Southwest Iowa) Southwest Iowa experienced a series of severe storms late Saturday afternoon and into the early evening, with reports of strong winds and large hail affecting Montgomery and Taylor counties. Below is a summary of confirmed reports from public observers, emergency managers, storm chasers, and trained spotters. Storms produced a wide range of hail sizes—from quarter-sized to baseball-sized—and strong winds, particularly around Villisca. Taylor County, Iowa, experienced a severe weather outbreak on Saturday, including tornado warnings and reports of significant hail.
Montgomery County:
4:33 p.m. – 3 S Stanton, Hail up to 1.00 inch reported by broadcast media.
4:45 p.m. – 3 N Villisca, Thunderstorm wind gusts of 64 MPH measured by the IA DOT Mesonet station.
4:51 p.m. – Stanton, Public reports hail up to the size of quarters (1.00 inch).
5:15 p.m. – Red Oak, Public reports quarter-size hail (1.00 inch).
5:16 p.m. – 1 WSW Red Oak, Emergency manager reports golf-ball-size hail (1.75 inches) southwest of Red Oak.
5:16 p.m. – 3 S Red Oak, Public report of baseball-size hail (2.75 inches) via mPING.
5:24 p.m. – 3 ESE Red Oak, Storm chaser measured two-inch hailstones.
Taylor County:
5:10 p.m. – 4 N New Market, Trained spotter reported hail measuring 1.00 inch.
5:31 p.m. – 7 NNW Gravity, Trained spotter via Spotter Network reported hail at 1.75 inches
5:45 p.m. – 2 N Gravity, Trained spotter measured hail at 2.75 inches (caliper measured 2.83 inches).
5:46 p.m. – 2 N Gravity, Trained spotter via Spotter Network measured hail at 2.00 inches
5:51 p.m. – 1 SW Gravity, Tornado reported by a trained spotter via Spotter Network.
5:54 p.m. – 1 SE Gravity, Tornado reported by a storm chaser.
6:28 p.m. – 3 SE Gravity, Public reports hail at 1.00 inch.
The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for southeastern Montgomery County. Between two and four inches of rain had fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch were possible in the warned area. This includes the areas of Villisca, Stanton, Viking Lake State Park, and Hacklebarney Woods County Park.
