EF2 tornado in Johnson County, Iowa

The tornado began southwest of Hills and moved northeast, crossing Highway 218 through the northwest portions of town. The tornado destroyed several outbuildings, large trees, and trim/siding on houses. The greatest damage was seen in western portions of the town of Hills, where roofs were completely torn off, siding removed from several homes and a large outbuilding destroyed. The tornado then proceeded through a wooded area with several trees snapped. It then continued northeast, destroying siding and roofs on several homes on the extreme southeast side of Iowa City. The tornado continued northeast and crossed Herbert Hoover Highway before lifting. Johnson County EMA provided outstanding support to determine the final portion of this track.

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.