Confirmed tornado reports in western Iowa
The National Weather Service in Des Moines confirmed a short-lived EF-U (Strength unknown) tornado occurred on April 23 in western Iowa. The Weather Service says no damage or injuries resulting from the tornado were reported. In Audubon County, officials say a tornado touch down beginning at around 4:52-p.m. six-miles east of Irwin, and ended at around 4:52-p.m. after traveling less than one-tenth of a mile (0.07 miles), at a width of 10-yards.
The National Weather Service Office in Omaha/Valley, NE, Friday afternoon, confirmed four tornadoes touched down in parts of Harrison, Fremont and Page Counties.
The National Weather Service in Omaha surveyed the damage and rated the tornado a high-end EF-1, with winds up to 105 mph, the strongest of five tornadoes in the viewing area. The other four included two EF-0 tornadoes in Fremont and Page Counties, and two tornadoes in Fremont and Audubon Counties that were filmed, but left no damage.
The first happened at around 1:46-p.m., 1.5 miles north/northwest of Little Sioux, in Harrison County just southeast of the intersection of 120th Street and Dayton Avenue. It continued northeast, flipping-over a center-pivot irrigation system. As it continued northeast, the twister damaged farm outbuildings, tree and power poles near 120th & Early Avenue. Just over a mile from that intersection, another center-pivot system was overturned before the tornado turned slightly more eastward and tore the fabric roofing off of a hoop barn near Gage Lane and Easton Trail, where the tornado dissipated. Officials rated the tornado as an EF-1 on the Fujita Scale, packing peak estimated winds of 105-mph. It lasted for 2.9-miles and was an estimated 500-yards wide.
A second, weak tornado seen on several videos and photographs from multiple angles, indicated the twister (Rated an EF-O with top winds of up to 70-mph) began at around 5:34-p.m. five-miles southeast of Riverton, in Fremont County. When it touched down it traveled to the east-northeast for about a mile and three-quarters. The Weather Service says while the near surface dust cloud was wider (About 80-yards), the actual core circulation was quite narrow and weak. The only damage along its track was minor tree damage, as the tornado crossed mostly open fields. The twister ended at around 5:37-p.m, about five-miles south of Farragut.
The third tornado was classified as “small,” and an EF-U (Unknown strength). It was confirmed through video and photographic evidence and estimated to be 20-yard wide at the most. The event began at around 5:34-p.m. five-miles south of Riverton and ended about two-minutes later after being on the ground for a little more than one-half mile.
The fourth tornado, sited three-miles east of Coin, in Page County, was confirmed through Storm Spotter reports, with a funnel rotating dust at the ground level, with minor tree damage at one location. The track (about 2.1-miles, at a width of 20-yards), was mainly over open fields. It began at around 6:17-p.m. and ended three-minutes later two-miles north/northwest of College Springs.
No injuries were associated with any of the events. The Weather Service says the information is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS Storm Data.
