WEST LIBERTY, Iowa — An EF-1 tornado damaged outbuildings, trees and two utility poles near West Liberty on Sunday, according to a survey from the National Weather Service's Quad Cities office.
West Liberty is less than 20 miles east of Iowa City, in Muscatine County.
The tornado occurred just before 6 p.m. Sunday, reaching maximum wind speeds of 95 mph over the course of its nearly five-mile path.
NWS meteorologists say the tornado touched down just north-northwest of West Liberty and crossed U.S. 6 between West Liberty and Atalissa before dissipating shortly after.
Several of the outbuildings' walls and roofs collapsed, and a large metal batting cage anchored into concrete was twisted and bent at its base.
The EF-1 twister was the only confirmed tornado in Iowa during Sunday's severe weather outbreak, but large hail occurred across the state, even leading to damage in Grinnell.
Severe thunderstorms caused both the hail and the tornado on Sunday after an area of storms that morning intensified in an unstable, highly-sheared atmospheric environment.
Although only one tornado occurred in Iowa, straight-line damage was reported in other areas of Iowa, and tornadoes were also confirmed in neighboring Missouri and Illinois.
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