HEDRICK, Iowa — At least seven tornadoes, including one EF-4 tornado, touched down in Iowa on Friday, according to meteorologists from the National Weather Service in both Des Moines and the Quad Cities.
The most significant damage occurred with a long-track tornado, which initially touched down around 3:37 p.m. Friday in northern Wapello County and then stayed on the ground through Keokuk, Washington, and portions of Johnson Counties.
Several homes and one hog confinement were damaged northeast of Ottumwa and just south of Hedrick.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines identified EF-2 damage (estimated peak winds ~135 mph) for the Wapello County portion of the tornado, but the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities preliminarily identified EF-4 damage (estimated peak winds between 136 and 165 mph) on the Keokuk, Washington, and Johnson County portion.
Although the entire tornado did not necessarily produce EF-4 level damage, the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities says EF-4 damage occurred at a farmstead north/northeast of Keota, where a house was "completely swept off its foundation."
Three injuries were reported with the EF-4 damage, but no fatalities were reported.
NOTE: Wapello County is located in NWS Des Moines' CWA, or county warning area, while Keokuk, Washington, and Johnson Counties are located in NWS Quad Cities' CWA. Since two separate offices are responsible for the assessment, the information above is considered preliminary, and the assessment is not entirely complete.
In eastern Iowa, at least three damage surveys are finished:
- an EF-2 tornado (estimated peak winds ~ 122mph) near Bennett affected portions of Cedar County and Clinton County, and was on the ground for roughly 23 minutes
- an EF-2 tornado (estimated peak winds ~ 121 mph) near Charlotte affected Clinton County, and was on the ground for roughly 25 minutes
- an EF-1 tornado (estimated peak winds ~ 104 mph) near Bellevue affected Jackson County, and a section of Jo Daviess County in Illinois, and was on the ground for roughly 8 minutes
At least three other tornadoes likely touched down in the state, but the storm surveys for those are not finished yet.
As additional surveys take place, it is possible more tornadoes will be confirmed.
It should be noted, all surveys are considered preliminary, and EF ratings can change with further analysis.