NWS: Tornado that struck near Iowa City an EF-1
AP/Lang
5/26/19
The National Weather Service says a tornado that hit southwest of Iowa City was rated an EF-1, with winds of 110 mph.
That word came Saturday after teams surveyed storm damage in Johnson and Washington counties.
Teams found damage to rooftops and trees and say some outbuildings and mobile homes were flipped. Frytown saw the brunt of the damage, with several trailers at a mobile home park there overturned.
Sgt. Brad Kunkel of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office had said Friday that authorities would be checking with members of the Amish community near Kalona to see if they needed assistance, since they may not have electricity. Sources who spoke to KCJJ on condition of anonymity have said that at least 20 members of the Amish and Mennonite communities were checked out at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for their injuries.
An Iowa City residence was also damaged in the storm. One building was levelled and another suffered serious damage on the farm of Casey Williams, who lives on Mormon Trek Boulevard. Parts of the buildings were scattered across a field between the farm and the Iowa City Airport. Family members told KCJJ some of the cattle inside one of the buildings were injured, with one cow having to be euthanized due to a broken leg.
Williams’ house also suffered damage, including a portion of the roof being blown off. One tree was completely uprooted, while another was seriously damaged.
A nearby storage shed owned by Kelly Heating and Air conditioning also had its roof blown off.
The tornado also disrupted West High’s graduation ceremony Friday evening, forcing students, their families and staff to seek shelter inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena as tornado warnings sounded. A similar scene played out at Clear Creek Amana High School graduation ceremonies in Tiffin.
KCRG TV-9 says the National Weather Service also found an EF-0 tornado in rural Cedar County, north of West Branch, with speeds up to 80 miles per hour.
Videos of a funnel cloud that formed over Iowa City and the damage at the Williams farm can be found on The Official 1630 KCJJ YouTube page.