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Tornado hit Springdale, Downey
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · May 29, 2024
A confirmed EF-1 tornado swept south of West Branch with up to 100 mph winds on Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
A Friday afternoon report said the tornado was one of three to hit along and south of Interstate 80 during severe thunderstorm weather.
“A tornado developed just east of Riverside in Washington County and moved rapidly northeast, following an intermittent path through southeast Johnson County, to West Branch in Cedar County,” read the NWS report. “The tornado caused tree and outbuilding damage and was rated EF-1 with maximum winds around 100 mph.”
A map of showing the route of the tornado estimates that it moved northeast, running along the northwest corner of Downey and the southeast corner of the West Branch area, running close to Scattergood Friends School and ending in Springdale.
The 18.09-mile route had a maximum width of about 100 yards — the length of a football field — and ran from about 6:50 a.m. to 7:14 a.m., according to the NWS.
To cover that distance in 24 minutes, the tornado moved about 45 mph.
The agency reported that the tornado did not cause any injuries or deaths. However, due to the wind speeds, the storm qualified as a derecho.
The most significant damage in this area appeared to take place at the Rick Paulsen farm, a few miles southeast of West Branch.
Located at 2185 Charles Avenue, between 310th and 320th streets, the farm saw two outbuildings destroyed and debris scattered more than a quarter-mile in an adjacent field.
“The damage done at Paulsen’s ... was determined to have been caused by an EF-1 tornado,” Cedar County Emergency Management Agency Director Jodi Freet wrote in an email to the Times.
Paulsen, a Springdale Township trustee, said he was leaving West Branch for home when the storm hit. He said it was raining hard and “stuff was flying by me,” like tin and 2x4s.
The collapsed sheds also damaged some of the machinery inside, he said, noting that it seems ironic since the shed is meant to protect the machines.
As he surveyed the area around his home, he saw damage to Brian Espensen’s farm on 310th Street, most notably a shed pushed in on the south side.
“His might have been more straight-line winds,” Paulsen said, instead of the twister causing damage.
However, the damage was spotty, suggesting the tornado hopped through the township rather than running along the ground.
Paulsen said the storm also snapped a power pole on Buckeye Road but did not damage a timber along the same path.
He said “Bruce Barnhart and his crew” from Barnhart Custom Services helped clean up the debris.
“We’re over the hump,” Paulsen said, and only waiting on the insurance adjuster’s visit.
Eerily still
Scattergood Academic Dean Sam Taylor said staff saw the weather alert and directed high school students into basements.
“Nobody saw a twister, but it was eerily still and the sky was green,” he said.
The May 21 storm knocked down some branches, but Friday’s storm did not appear to cause any damage, Taylor said.
“We must be living right,” he chuckled.
The boarding school also runs a middle school with day clases, so staff delayed the beginning of Friday’s classes by one hour, he said.
The National Weather Service received reports of several tornadoes that passed south of Iowa City and Interstate 80 on Friday morning, with winds ranging from 70 to 100 mph.
“Areas along and north of I-80 were particularly hard hit ... and caused significant damage to structures (namely roofs), utility poles, and trees,” read a post-storm summary that included a picture of a Tipton grain bin that looks like a giant sat on it.
It was one of two storms in the past week that threatened to produce tornadoes, though areas inside West Branch’s city limits escaped serious damage both times.
However, the May 21 storm did topple five semi-tractor trailers on Interstate 80, causing minor injuries.
According to West Branch Fire Chief Kevin Stoolman, most of the crashes happened between the 259 and 260 milemarkers on both the eastbound and westbound lanes. In addition, one Walmart truck tipped over into the median about a half a mile east of the West Branch exit.
The trucks that blew over near Exit 259 near West Liberty blocked eastbound lanes for more than an hour and backed up vehicles more than five miles, turning the interstate into a parking lot well past West Branch’s Exit 254.
Disaster relief
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office issued a statement Friday afternoon declaring Cedar and Johnson counties, as well as 30 other counties, disaster areas.
Those who suffered damage may apply for assistance at homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/disasters/individual-disaster-assistance-programs or cedarcounty.iowa.gov/news/press_release_disaster_proclamation.
Reynolds’ proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program (IIAGP) — which provides up to $5,000 and other benefits — and the Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program.
Individuals suffering losses of personal property or structural damage may also contact Community Action of Eastern Iowa, which covers Cedar, Clinton, and Muscatine counties.
Both storms knocked out power for about a half an hour each time, one in the evening of May 21 and the other in the morning of May 24.
Both times only saw minimal tree damage in the city limits, though one large tree in the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site lost one of its two trunks inside the Loop Road. West Branch Village saw some damage to skirting on some of its mobile homes, including in the newer section.
Friday’s storm prompted West Branch Community Schools to delay the last day by one hour. Buses started rolling about 8:15 a.m., about when the school day normally begins.
Despite the late start, school got out at 11:30 a.m. as planned.
Friday morning winds knocked over garbage and recycle bins placed on the curb for weekly pickup, and some garbage scattered across streets.
Hoover Park Gardener Ryan Elliott said the tree damage was largely contained to “little limbs” outside of the one trunk.
Hoover Park staff and two Traditional Trades Advancement Program workers — Meahgan Scales and Tysen Skopec — chipped up the debris Wednesday morning.
West Branch Public Works Director Matt Goodale said his crew hauled away three loads of tree limbs. One large branch fell in the road in the 200 block of West Main Street.
The lift station and water plant went down during the power outages, but Goodale said residents would not have noticed any interruption while that equipment was reset and the water tower topped off.
He noted that the water towers include sensors to mark the “high point” and “low point” of the water, which are about three feet apart. He said it would take more than half an hour of regular use to reach that low point because each tower holds about 1 1/2 days of water.
Storm damage reporting
Those who suffered damage during either of last week’s storms may seek assistance depending on where they live.
Cedar County:
• Cedar County Emergency Management Agency: 563-886-3355
• cedarcounty.iowa.gov/news/press_release_disaster_proclamation/
Johnson County:
• Johnson County Emergency Management Agency: 319-356-6700
• crisistrack.juvare.com/public/johnsonIA/request.html
Both Cedar and Johnson counties:
• homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/disasters/individual-disaster-assistance-programs
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