EF2 tornado in Des Moines County, Iowa

A brief tornado tracked east across the southern portions of the town of Mediapolis, destroying siding and shingles on a few homes and businesses. Numerous large tree limbs fell on mobile homes and frame houses, damaging roofs and siding. In the middle of town, at it's peak strength, the tornado widened to 150 yards and produced EF2 damage at a home, where it removed the entire roof, and snapped a few large trees off just above the ground. The tornado dissipated quickly on the east side of town. The peak winds are estimated to be 120 mph with this tornado.

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.