EF2 Tornado — Story, Iowa

2024-05-21 · near Cambridge, Story, Iowa

Event narrative

This tornado moved into Story County from Polk County. The tornado was quite wide at this point nearing 1000 yards wide at times. Along Highway 210 southeast of Cambridge, 8 large wooden and relatively new higher voltage power poles were snapped. Trees were obliterated along 315th Street east of Cambridge. Additional EF2 damage occurred 620th Avenue where numerous outbuildings were destroyed. A house was completely removed from its foundation at the intersection of 270th Street and Woods Rd and was tossed across 270th Street. However, the house was undergoing a remodel at the time and had no anchorage to the pour concrete foundation, hence the EF2 rating at this location. Damage to a house along 250th Street southeast of Nevada was extensive with the house shifted off the foundation and much of the interior savaged by flying debris and mud. All the outbuildings at this location were destroyed with the debris strewn far downwind. Another brick house at the intersection of Highway 30 and 650th avenue had extensive damage with only the front of the house still intact. These last two houses had high end EF2 damage and it appears this is where the tornado was strongest. EF2 damage was still found downstream for several more miles but was not as extensive as what had been seen just southeast and east of Nevada. The last extensive damage with the tornado occurred along 160th Street between 710th and 720th Avenue where a house lost half of its roof and then hit a hog house about a half a mile later. The tornado then weakened and dissipated shortly before reaching 150th Street. Two additional injuries occurred in Story County with this tornado.

Wider weather episode

PLEASE NOTE, for hail, wind, heavy rain and flooding, please see separate Storm Data entry for May 20-22.

Numerous tornadoes occurred on this day with numerous injuries and four fatalities at Greenfield in Adair County.

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall, damaging winds, hail and destructive tornadoes to the state. These thunderstorms were the result of a low pressure system which lifted north into the area on the night of May 20th, 2024, producing slow moving storms that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rainfall. This resulted in flash flooding over portions of northern and central Iowa through the morning of May 21st, 2024.

Following the heavy rainfall through the morning, skies cleared out ahead of an approaching cold front. By the afternoon hours of May 21st, 2024, this cold front produced a line of strong thunderstorms which produced multiple strong tornadoes throughout the state, including one which led to significant damage in the town of Greenfield, IA, among other locations. This line of storms also produced damaging winds, leading to widespread tree damage and power outages throughout the forecast area.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (41.8635, -93.5318)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1170190. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.