EF2 tornado in Johnson County, Iowa

A tornado developed just southwest of Coralville, crossed Highway 218 and damaged the James St. Warehouse near Highway 6 in Coralville. Several trailers and a truck were flipped over in the vicinity. A retail building also had part of a roof lifted off with several vehicles rolled or flipped. The tornado then tracked into a residential area and uprooted and snapped numerous trees. At least 2 injuries were reported by emergency management. Damage then became more sporadic before the tornado reintensified across Coralville Reservoir. A more concentrated path began near Sugar Bottom campground east of North Liberty and continued northeast towards Solon. A radio tower collapsed and a roof was lifted off a home and partially removed. The tornado continued northeast into a field before eventually reaching another farmstead and destroying an outbuilding. Debris from the farmstead was lofted into a field with a 2x4 driven into the ground. The tornado continued into Solon, uprooting trees, bending street signs, and destroying another outbuilding before dissipating and lifting just north of Sutliff Rd.

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.