712 Digital Group - top

Severe storms roll through Iowa with strong winds

News, Weather

August 31st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Severe storms swept across Iowa, Sunday, with heavy rains causing some flooding and strong wind gusts snapping tree limbs and affecting power lines. The Des Moines Register said the National Weather Service received a report of one person injured by lightning during the storms Sunday. The Iowa Storm Chasing Network said on its social media page that eastern Iowa storm chaser Danny Murphy was hit by lightening late Sunday afternoon near Denison, but was last reported to have been resting comfortably in the hospital.

Crawford County emergency management coordinator Gregory Miller said several highways were covered at various points during the storm. Heavy rains broke through a farm retention dam in Denison, causing flooding on Iowa Highway 39.

The Omaha World-Herald reported that I-29 was closed when the roof and sidewall blew off a building and into a pickup pulling a trailer. Sioux City Police Sgt. Dane Wagner said the truck toppled, but no one was injured.

Other storm reports from western Iowa, as relayed by law enforcement, the public & media to the National Weather Service:

8:19-p.m. Heavy rain 5 miles e/se of Charter Oak in Crawford Co.; 3.6″ of rain from 6:30-8:15-p.m.

8:15-p.m. Est. 80mph winds in Bayard and Yale in Guthrie Co.; Power poles & lines down.

8:12-p.m. 58mph gust of wind in Audubon.

7:45-p.m. estimated 65mph wind gust 2 miles e. of Earling in Shelby Co.

7:45-p.m. Tstorm wind damage E/SE of Manning in Carroll Co.: Tree limbs down.

7:42-p.m. Flash Flood 5 miles N of Denison. Dam Failure. Huwy 39 closed due to flash flooding.

7:42-p.m. Tstorm wind gust estimated at 60mph in Irwin.

7:40-p.m. 2″ diameter tree limbs down in Templeton (Carroll Co.)

7:32-p.m. Tstorm wind damage 1 mile w. of Denison. Campers tipped over.

7:30-p.m. Funnel cloud reports 1 mile w. of Vail in Crawford Co.

7:30-p.m.  Numerous large trees down in Manning.

7:15-p.m. Tstorm wind gust est. at 63mph in Denison. Multiple trees down, person hit by lightening. Numerous power outages.

7:13-p.m. Tstorm wind damage in Missouri Valley. 5″ dia. tree limbs blown down.

7:09-p.m. 60mph winds in Missouri Valley.

6:56-p.m. est. 50mph wind gust in Dow City (Crawford Co.); 1″ dia. hail also.