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EF1 tornado in Washington County, Iowa

Tornado April 17, 2026 · Washington County, Iowa

EF1

Rating

5.3 mi

Path length

100 yd

Path width

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 100 yards (0.06 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF1 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF1 is moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken, consistent with estimated gusts of 86–110 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

An EF1 tornado with estimated max winds of 100-105 mph begun roughly 3 miles east-northeast of West Chester, IA. Along its 5.3 mile path, it snapped several power poles and tree trunks, along with ripping sheet metal roofs off of farm outbuildings. A semi truck was also tipped over near the intersection of State Highway 1 and 92, which can be associated with a localized wind surge south of the tornado.

The wider storm

Numerous severe storms tracked across eastern IA, northwest IL, and northeast MO during the afternoon and evening of April 17. Widespread wind gusts between 60-80 mph (isolated 80-100 mph), large hail up to teacup size, and several tornadoes were reported.

The most significant damage occurred in Lena, IL where many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees uprooted, and power lines downed by an EF2 tornado. Very strong straight-line winds also were documented in parts of the area.

Began near Washington (41.3500, -91.7500).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

1 more tornado the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

EFU Jackson County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1328896. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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