Iowa, 1999

Tornadoes and Flood in Iowa, April 8, 1999

April 8, 1999 · NWS DVN · 12 events in 7 counties and zones

Scattered severe thunderstorms moved across portions of eastern Iowa during the late afternoon and early evening producing two tornadoes, several funnel clouds and very heavy rain. The two tornadoes were reported in Jefferson County west of Batavia and west of Pleasant Plain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.

Scattered severe thunderstorms moved across portions of eastern Iowa during the late afternoon and early evening producing two tornadoes, several funnel clouds and very heavy rain. The two tornadoes were reported in Jefferson County west of Batavia and west of Pleasant Plain. No damage was reported with either tornado and both were rated F0.Strong winds downed trees on railroad tracks in Keokuk in Lee County and caused minor damage to a farmhouse in Vinton in Benton County. A power pole and lines were also toppled by strong winds in New Liberty in Scott County. Strong winds also were responsible for destroying a farmstead including an old barn and crib house in Sunbury in Cedar County. Locally heavy rain accompanied the storms as they moved through Washington County causing street flooding.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 3 funnel cloud, 2 tornado, 1 hail, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Jefferson

When
April 8, 5:25 PM CST
Where
Jefferson County, 1 mi W of Batavia
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.000, -92.180

Tornado, Jefferson

When
April 8, 5:25 PM CST
Where
Jefferson County, 7 mi W of Pleasant Plain
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.150, -92.020

Funnel Cloud, Keokuk

When
April 8, 5:38 PM CST
Where
Keokuk County, 5 mi S of Richland
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Lee

When
April 8, 5:42 PM CST
Where
Lee County, 1 mi S of Keokuk
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.380, -91.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When
April 8, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Benton County, Vinton
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.170, -92.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When
April 8, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Scott County, New Liberty
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.720, -90.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When
April 8, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Benton County, Vinton
Measured
64 kt (74 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.170, -92.030

Funnel Cloud, Keokuk

When
April 8, 5:50 PM CST
Where
Keokuk County, Richland
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When
April 8, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Lee County, Keokuk
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.400, -91.380

Flood, Washington

When
April 8, 6:05 PM CST
Where
Washington County, Washington
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Funnel Cloud, Washington

When
April 8, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Washington County, 1 mi NE of Kalona
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Cedar

When
April 8, 7:30 PM CST
Where
Cedar County, Sunbury
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.670, -90.930

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 1999Warnings in Iowa, April 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5710816, 5710817, 5710813, 5710808, 5710809, 5710812, 5710814, 5710810, 5710818, 5710815, 5710811, 5710819.