Tornado in Iowa, April 13, 2006

Name: Tornado in Iowa, April 13, 2006
Start: 2006-04-13T19:38
End: 2006-04-13T19:48
Location: Iowa

April 13, 2006 · NWS DVN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Tornado began near the intersection of Taft Avenue and 480th Street at 1938 CST and moved east northeast. S.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $70,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Tornado began near the intersection of Taft Avenue and 480th Street at 1938 CST and moved east northeast. The tornado crossed U.S. 6 one mile east of its intersection with X14. At this point, the tornado turned to the left and traveled north crossing the Iowa Interstate Railroad and dissipated southeast of the intersection of Wapsi Avenue and 400th Street at 1948 CST.When this tornado cross the IAIS tracks and F46, it just missed traveling through a natural gas tank farm and the 15 pipelines feeding into it.A mobile home was destroyed and a house lost a portion of its roof. Considerable tree damage was noted and several farm outbuildings were damaged or unroofed.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 13, 4:42 PM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 13, 4:42 PM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
542 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

.UPDATE...
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INITIATED OVER CENTRAL IOWA IN THE LAST 30
MINUTES...AND THIS IS A FAVORABLE LOCATION FOR STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO OUR CWA.  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AS
BEEN ISSUED TIL MIDNIGHT...AREAS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 78 IN IOWA...AND
FOR MERCER AND ROCK ISLAND IN ILLINOIS. THE MAIN THREAT SHOULD BE
LARGE HAIL AND VERY STRONG WINDS UP TO 80 MPH. SOME SUPERCELLS WILL
BE POSSIBLE AS WELL...MAINLY IN EASTERN IOWA EARLY THIS EVENING.
ERVIN

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY SAG SOUTH TONIGHT AND STALL ACROSS THE
REGION FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS ARE
FORECAST TO TRACK ALONG THE FRONT BRINGING SEVERAL ROUNDS OF RAIN TO
THE AREA.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
MOISTURE IS SLOWLY MOVING INTO THE REGION ALBEIT SLOWER THAN WHAT
THE MODELS HAVE BEEN INDICATING. NEW 18Z SOUNDING STILL HAS A
MINIMAL CAP ON IT. THIS CAP ALONG WITH VERY LIMITED MOISTURE HAS
PRECLUDED CONVECTION FROM DEVELOPING. CONVECTION SHOULD DEVELOP
FAIRLY QUICKLY THIS EVENING WITH IT TRANSFORMING INTO AN MCS THAT
EXITS THE AREA AROUND DAWN FRIDAY. MCS IN TURN WILL HELP PUSH THE
COLD FRONT SOUTH TO THE IA/MO BORDER WITH THE NEXT WAVE ARRIVING
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

THE WAVE ON FRIDAY SHOULD INITIATE CONVECTION DURING THE
AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH DRY EASTERLY FLOW SETTING UP BY SATURDAY
MORNING. STALLED FRONT TO RETURN SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY AND THIS
COULD GET INTERESTING IF THE MODELS ARE CORRECT. POTENTIAL IS THERE
FOR A MODERATE TO POSSIBLY HEAVY RAIN EVENT OVER ABOUT THE NORTH
HALF OF THE CWFA.

AFTER A QUIET MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...THE NEXT WAVE ARRIVES
TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIP TO
THE AREA. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY LOOK DRY ATTM.

&&

.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TIL MIDNIGHT NORTH OF HIGHWAY 78.
IL...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TIL MIDNIGHT ROCK ISLAND AND MERCER.
MO...NONE.

ERVIN/08

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 13, 12:55 PM CST, 6 hours 43 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
155 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-141015-
BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON-
CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON-
HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL-
WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON-
WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK-
155 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST
CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA REMAINS IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...FOR MAINLY THIS EVENING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP TOWARD EVENING
OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHEAST IOWA. THESE STORMS MAY THEN DEVELOP INTO A COMPLEX AND
MOVE QUICKLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS
TONIGHT BETWEEN 7 PM AND 1 AM. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS
WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH. SECONDARY
THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. THE PORTION OF THE
OUTLOOK AREA MOST AT RISK IS GENERALLY NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM
WASHINGTON IOWA...TO MONMOUTH ILLINOIS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A CONTINUED RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS PORTIONS OF
THE OUTLOOK AREA FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AS A STRONG FRONT
LINGERS IN THE REGION. ON FRIDAY...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR
SEVERE STORMS FOR AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 IN THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. THE AREA OF MAIN CONCERN WILL BE NEAR A STALLED FRONTAL
WEST TO EAST BOUNDARY IN THE VICINITY OF SOUTHEAST IOWA...NORTHEAST
MISSOURI INTO WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. CONDITIONS IN THIS AREA MAY
BE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND.

A MORE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY INTO
SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA AS A STRONG UPPER
LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE POSSIBLE AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.
THESE MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND...AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...WHICH
MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING AND RISING RIVER LEVELS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING.

MCCLURE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 13, 7:24 PM CST, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
824 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0822 PM     HAIL             CEDAR RAPIDS            41.97N 91.67W
04/13/2006  E0.88 INCH       LINN               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTED DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL.

&&

MIKEZ

Local storm report, Apr 13, 7:26 PM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
826 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0822 PM     HAIL             MARION                  42.03N 91.59W
04/13/2006  E0.75 INCH       LINN               IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MIKEZ

Local storm report, Apr 13, 7:34 PM CST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
834 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0833 PM     TORNADO          IOWA CITY               41.66N 91.54W
04/13/2006                   JOHNSON            IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TORNADO NEAR THE WAL MART IN SOUTHWEST IOWA CITY

&&

RAYW

Local storm report, Apr 13, 7:35 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
835 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0831 PM     TORNADO          5 SE HILLS              41.52N 91.47W
04/13/2006                   JOHNSON            IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NEAR HIGHWAY 218 AND JOHNSON/WASHINGTON COUNTY LINE
            HEADING TOWARD TOWN OF HILLS

&&

DLF

Local storm report, Apr 13, 7:36 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
836 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0836 PM     HAIL             1 SW ATKINS             41.99N 91.87W
04/13/2006  E1.75 INCH       BENTON             IA   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

RAYW

Local storm report, Apr 13, 7:37 PM CST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
837 PM CDT THU APR 13 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0837 PM     HAIL             ATKINS                  42.00N 91.86W
04/13/2006  E0.75 INCH       BENTON             IA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER ALSO REPORTED HEAVY RAIN.

&&

MIKEZ

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Johnson

When: April 13, 7:38 PM CST to 7:48 PM CST
Where: Johnson County, 5 mi NE of Hills
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.1 mi
Path width: 700 yd
Property damage: $70,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 41.600, -91.483

Rated high F1

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Iowa, 2006 Warnings in Iowa, April 2006

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: 5502564.