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EF2 tornado in Clinton County, Iowa

Tornado March 31, 2023 · Clinton County, Iowa

EF2
Rating
18.0 mi
Path length
350 yd
Path width
1
Injury
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 350 yards (0.20 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A strong tornado developed over the southeast part of Grand Mound, Iowa, and tracked through Charlotte, Iowa. A continuous damage track was noted, with several damaged houses, especially in Charlotte. The highest damage rating was located northeast of Grand Mound, where a whole house was shifted off it's foundation, and an entire house completely collapsed. Many areas noted tree damage and snapped power poles along the track of the tornado as well. Damage was also noted in Charlotte, associated with partial to complete destruction of barns and outbuildings. 3 people where trapped in the house that collapsed in Grand Mound, and one was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.

The wider storm

A very strong system developed on the morning of March 31st and tracked across the state of Iowa. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist air into the Midwest, which combined with a very favorable wind profile to create a volatile environment for severe thunderstorms. Discrete supercell thunderstorms occurred initially, but quickly transitioned into a QLCS mode. This system produced a historic tornado outbreak for the area, with a record 29 tornadoes on the day, including 13 rated EF-2, 1 rated EF-3, and 1 rated EF-4. This was the first EF-4 tornado in the NWS Quad Cities service area since 1995. 11 injuries were reported, with no known fatalities. In addition to the numerous tornadoes, there were many large hail and damaging wind reports. Maximum straight line thunderstorm winds were estimated at 80 to 90 mph.

Began near Grand Mound (41.8100, -90.6500).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

18 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1086474. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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