(Atlantic, IA) – Severe storms that fired-up in Nebraska, Thursday, didn’t take long to rumble into western Iowa. The far western parts of our listening area were pummeled early-on by hail. The National Weather Service says there were multiple reports of one-inch diameter hail (or about the size of quarters), falling between approximately 3:40- and 5-p.m., near Denison, Aspinwall, Arcadia, Willey, Carter Lake, Missouri Valley, Dunlap, Logan and Oakland. Logan also reported some penny-sized hail (3/4″ diameter) in some spots.
A tornado was reported two-miles north of Little Sioux, in Harrison County, at around 1:45-p.m., with emergency management reporting numerous downed power lines and roofs torn-off of buildings along 120th Street. Half-dollar-size hail (1.25″ in diameter) fell 4 miles west of Pisgah, as well.
Fremont County Emergency Management officials reported a tornado on the ground two-miles east of Riverton at around 5:38-p.m. In Madison County, damage to outbuilding doors, as well as tree damage, was reported near Winterset between 7:15 and 7:30-p.m., as winds blew through at speeds of up to 65-miles per hour.
Here in Cass County, a house was struck by lightning at around 7:30-p.m., south of Wiota. The residents reported a fire, but were able to extinguish it. Smoke was still being observed, though, so they called to have the structure checked-out. Firefighters from Wiota and Anita were dispatched to the scene and confirmed there was smoke in the structure, and possible fire. No injuries were reported. Additional information is currently not available.
Elsewhere in Iowa, local fire department spotters in Story County reported a tornado on the ground near Slater, at around 7:33-p.m., Thursday. A large section of a machine shed was blown-off and power lines were reported to be down at around 8:30-p.m. east of Swan, in Marion County. Thunderstorm wind damage was reported in Decatur County, near Leon and Weldon, where a metal roof was blown-off of a shed.
