At least one tornado touched down in rural southern Iowa last (Sunday) night, near the towns of Creston, Cromwell and Williamson. National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Vachalek can’t yet confirm whether there were multiple twisters.

“There may have been just one tornado,” Vachalek says. “We sent out a survey team today to take a look at that. That occurred in Adams County so we’ll have folks out there surveying the damage this morning and we’ll have some results from that later on this afternoon, probably before about 5 o’clock.”

While some crops were torn up and a few farmsteads were hit by the likely tornado, there are no reports of anyone being hurt. “From what we understand, from some of the photos we’ve received that will help us with the survey, it did damage some farms and cut through some fields, so there’s some significant damage,” Vachalek says. “Fortunately, we did not see it go through any major towns or cities last night.”

Before last night’s storms, there had only been 25 tornadoes reported statewide this year, far below the annual average of 46. Last year, there were 55 twisters reported across Iowa. Damage reports were scattered across central and southern Iowa from last night’s bout of severe weather.

“These thunderstorms that developed around the Des Moines metro area and then filled in quickly over the southern counties, did produce a number of large hail reports, some in excess of 1.75 inches, or golf ball-sized or larger,” Vachalek says.

Large hail was reported in the following counties: Adair, Dallas, Marion, Jasper, Taylor and Union. A possible microburst knocked over a semi-truck near Des Moines while Chariton reports winds of almost 60 miles an hour. Vachalek says we’ll see somewhat cooler weather most of this week, with rain possible much of the next five to seven days.

(Radio Iowa)