Severe Thunderstorms Cause Damage in Northern Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa — Severe thunderstorms swept through northern Iowa late Monday evening, causing widespread damage and power outages. The storms, impacting areas largely north of US 30, produced strong winds and hail.

The thunderstorms brought wind gusts as high as 92 mph, with reports of campers overturned at a Ventura campground. Fortunately, emergency management officials stated that no serious injuries have been reported.

Cerro Gordo County experienced significant damage as numerous campers were blown over by gusts, some of which were occupied at the time. A severe thunderstorm watch was canceled for parts of north-central Iowa, but warnings remained in effect for counties such as Webster, Hardin, and Franklin.

As storm activity continued, nearly 11,000 customers in the Storm Lake area were without power, while over 2,000 lost electricity around Fort Dodge. These outages were reported by MidAmerican Energy.

The storm system formed earlier in South Dakota and was expected to push east-southeast throughout the night, bringing additional rounds of severe weather. Meteorologists warned of damaging straight-line winds, potentially shaking up to 90 mph.

This severe weather leads to heightened concerns as conditions could support the development of a derecho, a long-lasting windstorm characterized by rapidly moving thunderstorms. Storm scenarios also indicated the possibility of tornadoes.

Forecasts suggest that more storms are expected Tuesday night, followed by a significant temperature drop into the 70s by the weekend. Residents are urged to stay weather-aware as recovery efforts begin.