EF2 tornado in Cedar County, Iowa

A tornado touched down 3 miles north of Atalissa, Iowa in Cedar County, snapping power poles and large trees along its path. It caused significant damage to two homes southwest of Bennett, Iowa, and flipped over a semi along interstate 80. It also damaged several concrete block silos south of Bennett. The tornado continued to track to the northeast through a rural area, causing sporadic tree damage. The tornado entered extreme northwest Scott County about a third of a mile south of 220th St., then travelled around one mile before entering Clinton County about a half mile west of the intersection of 280th St. and 110th Ave. The tornado then dissipated about 2 miles south of Wheatland. The peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. The tornado was rated EF-2 in Cedar County, and EF-0 in Scott and Clinton Counties.

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.