Metro cities dealing with aftermath of strong storms, at least 1 tornado

DES MOINES, Iowa – According to the National Weather Service, a fast-moving storm that hit during rush hour Monday spawned at least one tornado in Polk County and left tree damage in communities across the Des Moines metro.

The storm moved into the metro around 5:30 p.m. and extensive tree damage has been reported in areas of Urbandale, Windsor Heights, and Des Moines. In Urbandale, the roofs of some homes were partially ripped off.

Windsor Heights resident Nicole Kinney said the storm moved quickly, “My little one screamed that there was a tornado in the backyard and we ran to the basement and about 30 seconds a freight train went through, then it was all over.”

Kinney’s neighborhood had heavy tree damage and neighbors were out helping clear the branches almost immediately after the storm.

The storm also brought down power lines and at one point, more than 11,000 people were without electricity. As of 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, 1,372 MidAmerican Energy customers in the Des Moines area were still without power.

Storm survey crews from the NWS will be out to survey the damage on Tuesday and determine the strength of the confirmed tornado. They’ll also be looking at whether the storm contained any other tornadoes.

The NWS said the highest wind gust from the storm that was measured in central Iowa was 78 mph and that was west of Montezuma in Poweshiek County. The storm also spawned 2.5” hail in Vail in Crawford County.

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