Tornado in Buchanan County, Iowa

The tornado developed in Benton County and crossed into Buchanan County along Benton-Buchanan Road at the Bearbower Sand Prairie County Park. The final tornado path was confirmed during a review of Sentinel satellite data. There was no observable damage in Buchanan County to assign a rating. The tornado was rated EF-2 in Benton County and EF-U in Buchanan County.

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.