A tornado is threatening central Iowa right now. A Tornado Warning is in effect for southeastern Poweshiek and northeastern Mahaska counties until 8:45 AM CDT, with radar-detected rotation near Barnes City — nine miles southeast of Montezuma — moving northeast at 60 mph toward Deep River and Interstate 80 near mile marker 199.
“TAKE COVER NOW,” the National Weather Service in Des Moines ordered in the bulletin. “Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows.”
Active Tornado Warning: Poweshiek and Mahaska Counties
The Tornado Warning is the most urgent alert in a sprawling Thursday morning storm outbreak. Radar-indicated rotation was confirmed as of 8:27 AM CDT near Barnes City.
Flying debris is dangerous, mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed, and vehicles offer no protection. Anyone near Deep River, Barnes City or along I-80 around mile marker 199 must seek shelter inside a sturdy structure immediately — do not wait to see or hear the tornado.
A Line of Violent Storms Sweeping East Across Iowa
Simultaneously, a dangerous line of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings is sweeping across the state from west to east, each carrying “Considerable” damage threats with 70 mph wind gusts:
- Marshalltown, Newton, Grinnell and Iowa Speedway (Marshall, Tama, Grundy, Jasper, Poweshiek counties) — “DANGEROUS SITUATION. Seek shelter NOW,” NWS Des Moines warned, noting storms are already producing sporadic wind damage.
- Ottumwa, Oskaloosa, Albia and Eddyville (Wapello, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek counties) — ping pong ball hail (1.5 inches) confirmed by trained spotters, 70 mph gusts, people and animals outdoors will be injured.
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and University Heights (Linn, Johnson, Iowa, Benton, Buchanan counties, from NWS Quad Cities) — 70 mph gusts, tornado possible, flash flooding also occurring with torrential rain. “These storms are producing widespread wind damage across central Iowa. SEEK SHELTER NOW.”
- Southern Iowa (Lucas, Monroe, Decatur, Wayne, Ringgold, Appanoose counties) — 60 mph gusts, quarter-size hail, I-35 impacted between mile markers 1 and 10.
In northern Missouri, the Kansas City NWS confirmed ping pong ball hail reported by emergency management at Hwy. 69 and Hwy. 136 in Harrison County, with 60 mph winds and 1.5-inch hail tracked through Grundy, Mercer, Putnam, Sullivan and Schuyler counties.
Tornado Watch Covers Three States Through 3 PM
Beyond the active warnings, Tornado Watch 311 is in effect through 3 PM CDT for 31 Iowa counties — including Linn (Cedar Rapids), Johnson (Iowa City), Scott (Davenport), Dubuque, Jackson and Lee — along with 8 Missouri counties and 21 Illinois counties including Peoria, Rock Island, Carroll, Whiteside and Stephenson. The watch encompasses a vast swath of the tri-state area and means tornado conditions remain favorable well into the afternoon.
What You Must Do Right Now
If you are in a Tornado Warning area: stop everything and go to your shelter now. Interior room, lowest floor, away from windows. Do not take cover in a vehicle, mobile home, or outbuilding.
In Severe Thunderstorm Warning areas: move inside immediately, away from windows and exterior walls. Have a plan to move to a tornado shelter instantly if a warning is upgraded.
Monitor the NWS Des Moines and NWS Quad Cities offices for real-time updates. Today is a life-safety day across Iowa — stay weather-aware until the Tornado Watch expires at 3 PM CDT.
