Power Outage in Onawa, IA

Emergency Manager reported ice and power outages across the county.

This tornado continued from Thurston County in northeast Nebraska and into Monona County. The damage in Monona County was generally confined to soft wood trees, but one farmstead did receive minor out building damage. The EF2 damage occurred as the tornado crossed 100th street were several power poles were snapped off at the base. The tornado then exited Monona County into Woodbury County.

A NWS storm survey determined a tornado tracked around 7 miles southeast of the Turin area. The tornado touched down near county roads E60 and L14 producing sporadic tree damage. The tornado tracked north northeast hitting a farmstead along L14 uprooting trees, downing power lines and destroying a grain bin. The tornado then moved across the Loess Hills producing varying degrees of tree damage. After crossing county roads E54 and 277th street additional tree and farm outbuilding damage occurred. Part of a roof of a farm house was removed near 258th Street with outbuildings also damaged in that area. The tornado knocked down some power lines near county road L16 before lifting in that area. The average path width was determined to be around 300 yards.

Thunderstorm wind gusts around 60 mph knocked a large tree down blocking a road in Onawa. The winds also blew down power lines trapping a traveler on a highway near town for a while until electrical crews could move the lines.

Freezing rain accumulated between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch over much of the county. Although winds weren't particularly strong, the weight of the ice caused areas of tree damage and scattered power outages.

Rain changed to a heavy wet snow a little after midnight CDT on April 5th and continued into the mid morning hours of that day. The precipitation was accompanied by north winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Although snowfall ended during the late morning of the 5th, the strong winds caused continued drifting snow in open areas into the afternoon hours. Public reports of snowfall included 8 inches in Pisgah and between 6 and 12 inches in the Moorhead area. The heavy wet snow and strong winds caused scattered power outages in the county.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph knocked down a few trees up to 2 feet in diameter. Power lines were also downed in the vicinity.

Thunderstorm wind gusts downed power lines which briefly closed Interstate 29 north of Onawa.

An intense cyclone moved through the central and northern Plains on Christmas. This brought unusual weather to eastern Nebraska and west central Iowa for late December. Strong southerly winds ahead of the system brought unseasonably warm and moist air northward into the region allowing for non-severe thunderstorms to cross the area early in the day on Christmas. By afternoon, a strong front swept across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa bringing a line of strong thunderstorms. A couple of the thunderstorms were strong enough to produce isolated severe weather with damaging winds. After the passage of the thunderstorms and as the low pressure moved into South Dakota a strong cold front swept through the area with very strong damaging non-thunderstorm winds across northeast Nebraska in west central Iowa. This brought widespread tree and power line damage, as well as some minor structural damage to the area.