Tornadoes in Iowa, May 21, 2024

This tornado moved from Page County into Taylor County. The path was very short in Taylor County only catching the extreme northwest corner of the county. No impacts to damage indicators occurred along the path, hence the EFU rating for this portion of the path.

The tornado entered into Adams County after clipping the northwest corner of Taylor County. Damage was immediate on the county border with damage to trees and and to farm buildings and power poles within the first few miles in the county. The tornado continued to gain in strength and size as it travelled northeast through southwest Adams county remaining in rural areas south and east of Nodaway. The tornado eventually crossed Federal Highway 34 just north of Brooks with plenty of videos showing a large funnel with debris swirling below it. As the tornado crossed State Highway 148, it gained in strength with EF2 damage becoming more common. Upon reaching the intersection of 150th Street and Notchwood Avenue, EF3 damage occurred with much of an unanchored house losing walls and sliding off the foundation. All outbuildings at this site were also destroyed. As the tornado continued into the north central portion of the county, it encountered several industrial wind mills. Several of the towers collapsed along with the large blades being tossed hundreds of feet through the air. The tornado was multi-vortex at this point with a width of 1300 yards. The tornado exited the county into Adair County between Quince Avenue and Redwood Avenue. The was one death in the county from this tornado when a female driver was ejected from a vehicle which got caught within the circulation.

The tornado entered into Adams County from Montgomery County. This tornado remained in rural areas of western and northern Adams County until lifting north of the town of Carl near the Adair County line. The tornado impacted a house on the north side of 200th street shortly after entering the county removing much of the roof with general collapse of the structure. A large hog confinement facility near the intersection of 190th and Aspen was severally damage with most buildings destroyed. EF3 damage occurred to a house along 175th Street near Cherry Avenue with all wall removed except a couple of the interior walls. The outbuildings at this location were all destroyed as well. Another house along 150th Street near Dogwood Avenue had all but a few interior walls removed with EF3 damage as well. All outbuildings were destroyed at this site as well. The tornado turned slightly to the right at this point with only limited interaction with building sites but plenty of tree damage for the remainder of it path.

The tornado developed southeast of Brayton and moved northeast in rural southern Audubon County. The bulk of the damage done was to trees. There was also a TDS associated with this tornado on the radar. The tornado dissipated a few miles east of Exira.

This tornado developed in rural Adams County southeast of Corning. It remained in agricultural fields initially before impacting a farmstead along Highway 34. Two outbuildings were damaged at this location. Additional homesteads were impacted with mostly minor damage. The EF1 damage occurred just before the tornado departed the county were a grove of trees sustained more significant damage. The tornado then entered Union County just northwest of Cromwell.

This large and violent tornado entered into south central Adair County from Adams County. The tornado remained a multi-vortex circulation as it moved into the county producing high end damage for much of its remaining path. The tornado encountered several houses in the vicinity of Fontanelle Road and 320th Street. Many of the structures received at least EF2 damage with one house north of the intersection receiving up to EF4 damage with a sufficiently anchored structure destroyed and slumped into a debris field nearby. Additional EF4 damage was noted at a farmstead on Jordan Avenue south of 280th Street with the house destroyed and trees chewed down to only the largest trucks and portions of the bark removed. The path then passed through another wind mill area with additional turbines collapsing west of Kent Avenue. The tornado then passed over Nodaway Park Ponds and entered the southwest side of Greenfield along SW 3rd Street. Several structures over the next several blocks had up to EF4 damage from SW 3rd Street over the SE 3rd Street and South of Linn Street and north of Oak and Noble Streets. Most of these saw complete destruction of the house with much of the debris scattered in the area but not completely swept away. The tornado weakened slightly for the later half of the destructive path through Greenfield. EF3 damage was widespread from SE Kent Street and SE 4th Street to the Intersection of E Iowa Street and NE 8th Street. The tornado exited the east side of Greenfield near the Adair County Fairgrounds. The tornado continued east northeast and gradually weakened impacting a few more houses before dissipating just south of the intersection of 220th Street and Quebec Avenue. This tornado produced at least 35 injuries in addition to 4 deaths within Greenfield. All of the deaths occurred in homes. Of note, according to media reports, a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) intercept research team measured a wind speed of just over 300 mph approximately 150 feet above ground level with this tornado.

This tornado moved into Union County from Adams County just to the northwest of Cromwell. The tornado impacted a few trees on the northwest edge of Cromwell and then dissipated shortly thereafter.

Emergency management recorded a path of damage from just east of Greenfield to just shy of the Adair/Madison County line north of 140th Street. The initial portion of this tornado was observed via the Doppler on Wheels (DOW) and was extended farther southwest accordingly. This tornado impacted farmsteads with damage to outbuildings and tree groves. Toward the end of the path, a large industrial wind mill was blown over southeast of the intersection of 150th street and Walnut Avenue. EF2 damage was then done with complete destruction of an outbuilding along York Avenue along with shredding of trees. The tornado then quickly weakened and dissipated as it approached the county line.

This tornado formed in far northern Union County and quickly moved into Madison County. No damage indicators were impacted by this tornado in Union County, hence the EFU rating for this portion of the tornado.

The tornado moved into Madison County from Union County. It impacted two farmsteads, removing a partial roof on an outbuilding along 330th Street and then producing tree damage at another farm along 315th Street with the tornado dissipating shortly afterwards.

This brief tornado passed through Martensdale producing ample tree damage with minor shingle damage. The tornado also produced a brief TDS on the radar as well. This tornado dissipated after exiting the northeast side of town.

Numerous reports via social media of tree damage associated with this tornado. It also produced a TDS on radar as it moved to the northeast.

This was a long track tornado which started just to the southwest of the Johnston High School with fascia and soffit damage to houses along Catalina Drive. The tornado blew windows out of the high school and continued to produce tree and minor roof damage through the Ashton Point neighborhood. The tornado crossed Camp Dodge and blew down a tree along NW Beaver Drive before crossing Saylorville Reservoir. The tornadoes path took it between Polk City and Ankeny with EF0 damage to trees and houses along Highway 415 and NW 44th Street. The damage began to intensify as the tornado moved northeast with EF1 damage becoming more prevelent in neighborhoods south of Alleman. The first EF2 damage was found on 142nd Avenue just west of Interstate 35 with additional EF2 damage to several houses near the intersection of NE 150th Avenue and NE 29th Street on the east side of the Interstate. The path continued to widen with additional damage near the border with Story County. This tornado moved into Story County near the intersection of NE 42nd Street and NE 166th Avenue. This tornado produced two injuries in Polk County.

This tornado moved into Story County from Polk County. The tornado was quite wide at this point nearing 1000 yards wide at times. Along Highway 210 southeast of Cambridge, 8 large wooden and relatively new higher voltage power poles were snapped. Trees were obliterated along 315th Street east of Cambridge. Additional EF2 damage occurred 620th Avenue where numerous outbuildings were destroyed. A house was completely removed from its foundation at the intersection of 270th Street and Woods Rd and was tossed across 270th Street. However, the house was undergoing a remodel at the time and had no anchorage to the pour concrete foundation, hence the EF2 rating at this location. Damage to a house along 250th Street southeast of Nevada was extensive with the house shifted off the foundation and much of the interior savaged by flying debris and mud. All the outbuildings at this location were destroyed with the debris strewn far downwind. Another brick house at the intersection of Highway 30 and 650th avenue had extensive damage with only the front of the house still intact. These last two houses had high end EF2 damage and it appears this is where the tornado was strongest. EF2 damage was still found downstream for several more miles but was not as extensive as what had been seen just southeast and east of Nevada. The last extensive damage with the tornado occurred along 160th Street between 710th and 720th Avenue where a house lost half of its roof and then hit a hog house about a half a mile later. The tornado then weakened and dissipated shortly before reaching 150th Street. Two additional injuries occurred in Story County with this tornado.