Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Des Moines, IA

April 23, 2026Audubon County, Carroll County, Iowa

NWS Des Moines, IA issued this tornado warning at Apr 23, 2026, 5:00 PM CDT for Audubon County, Carroll County, Iowa. It was in force for 27 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 23, 2026, 5:00 PM CDT (22:00 UTC)
Expired: Apr 23, 2026, 5:27 PM CDT
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Des Moines, IA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Audubon County, IA, Carroll County, IA

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:04 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 23, 5:18 PM CDT	HAIL 1	2 S Willey, IA	Time estimated via radar.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 23, 12:02 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 329 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 759 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -225 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 565 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 307 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 437 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

353 
WFUS53 KDMX 232200
TORDMX
IAC009-027-232245-
/O.NEW.KDMX.TO.W.0018.260423T2200Z-260423T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
500 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northern Audubon County in west central Iowa...
  Southern Carroll County in west central Iowa...

* Until 545 PM CDT.

* At 500 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Gray, or 9
  miles northwest of Audubon, moving northeast at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado.

  SOURCE...Law enforcement confirmed tornado.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* The tornado will be near...
  Templeton and Gray around 505 PM CDT.
  Dedham around 515 PM CDT.
  Willey around 520 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Willey, Gray, Templeton, and Dedham.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a
basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy
building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4203 9473 4186 9471 4186 9474 4181 9474
      4176 9509 4188 9509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 240DEG 27KT 4184 9502 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Fowle

2 follow-up statements

808 
WWUS53 KDMX 232212
SVSDMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
512 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

IAC009-027-232245-
/O.CON.KDMX.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-260423T2245Z/
Audubon IA-Carroll IA-
512 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN AUDUBON AND SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL COUNTIES...

At 512 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Dedham, or 9 miles south of Carroll, moving
northeast at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Willey around 515 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Templeton, Willey, and Dedham.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4203 9473 4186 9471 4186 9474 4181 9474
      4178 9495 4193 9497
TIME...MOT...LOC 2212Z 237DEG 48KT 4193 9483 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Fowle

712 
WWUS53 KDMX 232227
SVSDMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Des Moines IA
527 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

IAC009-027-232237-
/O.CAN.KDMX.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-260423T2245Z/
Audubon IA-Carroll IA-
527 PM CDT Thu Apr 23 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN AUDUBON AND SOUTHEASTERN
CARROLL COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.  However, gusty winds are
still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CDT for west central
Iowa.

LAT...LON 4203 9473 4186 9471 4186 9474 4181 9474
      4178 9495 4193 9497
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 240DEG 27KT 4199 9469 

$$

Fowle

The office that day

Everything else NWS Des Moines, IA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 23, 2:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Crawford	63 min
Apr 23, 3:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Crawford	63 min
Apr 23, 3:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Carroll, Crawford	42 min
Apr 23, 4:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Palo Alto	40 min
Apr 23, 4:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Sac	57 min
Apr 23, 4:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Audubon	56 min
Apr 23, 4:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Calhoun, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Webster	49 min
Apr 23, 5:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Webster	41 min
Apr 23, 5:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Greene, Guthrie	30 min
Apr 23, 5:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Emmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Winnebago	40 min
Apr 23, 5:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Kossuth	22 min
Apr 23, 5:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Humboldt, Pocahontas and 1 more	69 min
Apr 23, 5:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Audubon, Cass, Guthrie	66 min
Apr 23, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Boone, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster, Wright	50 min
Apr 23, 6:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adams, Taylor	64 min
Apr 23, 6:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Adair, Boone, Cass, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie and 1 more	50 min
Apr 23, 6:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DMX	Adams, Taylor	42 min
Apr 23, 6:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DMX	Boone, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Story, Webster	62 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Iowa, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.