Is There Gonna Be a Tornado in Sioux Falls Again on Wednesday

Tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings blared through the afternoon and evening across the Plains on Wed, leaving at least a few confirmed twisters in Iowa, fires in Kansas and impairment across the region.

In that location were 118 astringent thunderstorm and 71 tornado warnings across Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said. One person in Iowa was confirmed dead after the storm.

The Des Moines Register followed the tempest throughout Midweek and continued to follow it Thursday.

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Storm updates from Thursday, Dec. 16

At to the lowest degree five confirmed tornados and so far, including two that travelled 26 miles each

7:30 p.chiliad. As Iowans continue to asses the damage created by a storm said to exist "one of a kind" across the Plains on Midweek, weather condition officials here take confirmed at least five tornados hit the land.

3 of those tornado had 24 to well-nigh 27 mile paths, co-ordinate to the National Weather condition Service in Des Moines.

From 4:l p.m. to 5:08 p.k. on Wednesday, an EF-two tornado travelled 26.1 miles "from southwest of Atlantic to between Extra and Hamlin," the agency tweeted Thursday.

From 5:17 p.m. to 5:31 p.m., some other EF-2 tornado travelled 24 miles from southwest of Bayard and into the boondocks.

And from 5:43 p.k. to vi:01 p.g., an EF-2 tornado travelled 26.7 miles from around Paton, to northwest of Harcourt, and so ended west of Duncombe, according to the conditions service.

Estimated peak winds for these three tornados ranged from 115 mph to 120 mph.

A fourth EF-2 tornado struck nigh Springbrook State Park, travelled 17.4 miles northwest of Bagley, and ended s of Jefferson.

The conditions service is still analyzing a fifth tornado that travelled through southeastern Sac County and ended about Lytton.

The agency stated that as it continues to assess damages, more tornadoes are probable to be confirmed.

These are only tornadoes confirmed in the National Conditions Service's Des Moines co-operative coverage area. The co-operative does non asses the amercement in the whole land — they have help from other branches in La Crosse, Wisconsin; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; the Quad Cities; and Omaha, Nebraska.

Before today, the weather service in La Crosse confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Rudd.

Now, 49 counties under Gov. Kim Reynolds' disaster declaration

5:12 p.k.Gov. Kim Reynolds added six more counties to her disaster proclamation Thursday evening.

The newly added counties are: Emmet, Franklin, Humboldt, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, and Woodbury.

Earlier Thursday she included 43 counties in the annunciation.

The earlier counties were: Allamakee, Appanoose, Audubon, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Cass, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Davis, Fayette, Floyd, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Ida, Kossuth, Lucas, Madison, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, O'Brien, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Sac, Shelby, Union, Washington, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Wright, and Worth.

"The governor's proclamation allows land resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this astringent weather," the news release from the governor'due south office said.

More:Kim Reynolds praises Iowans' response to Wednesday storms, says harm could have been 'a lot worse'

Rudd library, historical society, homes in tatters

5 p.yard.

Naig: Buildings damaged but storm would take been worse before in the season

3:30 p.m. Mike Naig, Iowa'due south agriculture secretary, said the state'due south getting "numerous reports" that livestock facilities, grain bins, barns and automobile sheds were damaged in Wednesday night'south tempest.

"Nosotros don't have the total picture just yet," Naig said Thursday, "but in those areas that had tornadoes, we're hearing virtually some pretty extensive harm to ag buildings."

Iowa is home to millions of chickens, pigs, turkeys and cattle, but Naig said the land bureau hasn't received reports that livestock were lost. "Nosotros're hearing mostly that roofs take been torn from buildings, so those animals may demand to exist moved" to different locations, he said.

Naig said the farm damage would accept been much worse had the storm hitting the state late in the growing season equally happened terminal twelvemonth. The Aug. 10 derecho swept through the middle third of Iowa, damaging millions of acres of corn and soybeans. Many farmers had to plow under downed corn that couldn't exist harvested.

"It would have been a nightmare," if Wed's storm to have hit "in the second half of the growing season," said Naig, who was traveling to northwest Iowa Thursday.

"Where you meet impairment, it'south significant," he said. "There are farms that have taken direct hits."

Unlike last year's derecho, which crumpled massive grain storage bins, Naig said he's seen mostly damage to the top of grain bins. The reason for the divergence, he believes, is that Iowa's grain bins are filled with corn and soybeans, giving them structural support to withstand record-breaking winds. They were mostly empty in August, Naig said.

More:Iowans make clean up damage after unprecedented, 'off the charts' December windstorm

NWS confirms tornado hits Rudd

one:fifty p.one thousand. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado hit Rudd, Iowa Midweek. EF1 tornadoes have wind speeds between 73 and 112 mph. More details will exist released later Thursday or Friday, according to the NWS.

There was extensive harm to buildings and vehicles in Rudd, according to videos posted to social media. Stu Ireland, a meteorologist at the National Conditions Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin, said the worst of the impairment occurred to a church on the northeast side of town and to a library.

The Rudd  Rockford  Marble Rock Community School District canceled classes Thursday to help people in demand. Showers were bachelor at the school, breakfast and lunch was besides served there. Rudd school commune staff members also shuttled people to Rudd to aid clean up.

 "We experience that information technology is best to shuttle people to Rudd so there isn't so many vehicles driving around the town," the district posted on Facebook.

There were 118 severe thunderstorm and 71 tornado warnings across Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa Midweek night.

Disaster proclamation issued for 43 Iowa counties

eleven:00 a.thousand.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster declaration for 43 counties after Wednesday's storm. Reynolds' annunciation releases country resources which tin can use used to recover from the effects of astringent atmospheric condition. Residents of impacted counties are being asked to report damage to state and local officials online.

The counties are: Allamakee, Appanoose, Audubon, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Cass, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Davis, Fayette, Floyd, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Ida, Kossuth, Lucas, Madison, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, O'Brien, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Sac, Shelby, Union, Washington, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Wright, and Worth.

Power being restored quickly, despite 'harrowing night'

xi a.m. Iowa utility workers are restoring ability to nigh xl,200 customers without electricity Thursday as quickly as possible.

"It was a harrowing night," said Tina Hoffman, a spokeswoman for MidAmerican Free energy, the Des Moines power provider.

Hoffman said crews worked all night in high winds to restore power to customers. Past ten a.m., nigh l,000 MidAmerican customers who had lost power, had electricity once more. The utility officials estimated most families would take power restored past midnight Thursday.

By mid-forenoon, about 11,800 MidAmerican customers were notwithstanding without power.

A small number of customers, likely in Fort Contrivance or Council Bluffs, where outages were high, might not be reconnected until Sat.

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives said virtually 22,000 homes lost power during the tempest. Past mid-morning, all but about 7,200 had electricity restored.

Corn Belt Power Cooperative, which generates power and distributes it to other cooperatives, said nine of 159 substations were without power and it was working to repair most 180 damaged ability poles.

The Humboldt generation and transmission co-op  provides power to a large portion of due north central Iowa.

"We accept crews scattered across our service territory assessing and fixing trouble areas," said Corn Belt spokesman Ryan Cornelius in an email.

One claiming for cooperatives and big utilities face was the size of the tempest, officials said.

"This storm moved across the entire state, so at that place was widespread harm to deal with," Hoffman said.

Des Moines avoids large-scale impairment, thanks in part to leafless copse, the 2020 derecho taking out weak trees

10:15 a.m.Equally Des Moines Public Works Managing director Jonathan Gano settled into his function at 216 SE fifth St. merely earlier 7 a.m. Thursday workers in orangish cogitating vests scurried into trucks and even a crimson picker.

Gano had thought on Wednesday that Th was going be one of the department's busiest days. Instead, his crews were responding to just 17 calls about overnight damage scattered throughout the city. For Des Moines at least, Midweek's storm concluded upward being an annoyance and a "weird way to start the wintertime."

Nearly summer storms typically generate about 100 calls for downed tree limbs and downed trees, Gano said. He anticipated at to the lowest degree a few more calls coming in once the sun rose.

"It's a pretty small number," Gano said. "We're well under the threshold for what I would consider to be a serious summer storm."

Ii key things helped Des Moines avoid large-scale damage from this storm, Gano said. Because of the flavor, at that place were few leaves on trees. When trees are fully-leafed out, every bit they were during the August 2020 derecho, it creates more surface area for the wind to grab onto and pull trees down, he said.

"That takes downward a lot of the ability for the wind to exercise damage," Gano said. "It'southward like property upwards a canvass of cardboard and one with holes in it."

The derecho also cleared a lot of the metropolis'south weakest copse and weak limbs, he said. During the derecho the city cleaned upwardly almost 250,000 cubic yards of material, he said.

"And then that material just isn't in that location," Gano said.

Thousands of Iowans without ability

9:twenty a.thousand.Conditions and utility officials had warned that the tempest, which blasted high winds across Iowa for hours, had the potential to accept out utility polls and power.

On Thursday, it was clear the potential was realized as thousands of Iowans were without ability.

Officials state's major power providers had said Wednesday afternoon that they had prepared for such damage and would work "in an all-hands-on-deck mode" to get power back.

Morning brings fuller look at damages in Jefferson

ix:00 a.thousand.

Scores of tornado reports in Iowa

viii:xx a.m. At that place were more than a dozen tornadoes reported in Iowa, with almost spotted in the western office of the country. Confirmation of tornadoes and damage assessments will be bachelor in the coming days, said Allan Curtis of the National Weather Service.

More than:High winds move through Iowa, more a dozen tornadoes spotted. Here'south where they were reported

A truck driver died in the tempest

7:00 a.m. The driver of a semitruck traveling on US Highway 151 in Benton County lost control of the vehicle after being struck by a high gust of air current at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. The semi rolled over onto its side and came to rest in a ditch, according to a traffic study from the Iowa State Patrol.

More:i dead in Iowa after strong winds striking truck, causing driver to lose command

From Wednesday, December. xv

Homes damaged in Bayard

nine:39 p.g.

Des Moines hadn't seen wind gusts like that since 1970

nine:ten p.chiliad. When Des Moines recorded a 74 mph wind gust at the airport at viii:28 p.m. Wed, information technology was the strongest such gust that wasn't associated with a thunderstorm since 1970, the National Weather Service reported on Twitter.

The Weather Service predicted the winds would gradually ease late Wednesday, with maximum gusts of 44 mph by 1 a.thou. Thursday in Des Moines and but 24 mph by 7 a.thou.

By Th evening, the air current was expected to drib to less than 5 mph.

Power outages across the Des Moines metro

ix p.chiliad. Just before 9 p.m., MidAmerican Energy Co. was reporting that 17,372 customers were without power in the Des Moines metro.

Amongst the largest outages: one in Ankeny affecting 1,627 customers; i forth Due south. 88th Street affecting i,497; i on the near northeast side of fundamental Des Moines affecting 1,379 customers; one near Dowling Catholic High School in Due west Des Moines affecting i,107; one near North.W. 2nd Street and I-235 affecting 980;  and one in Waukee affecting 518.

Alliant Energy reported just scattered outages in the outlying areas information technology serves.

More:How to report power outages to MidAmerican and Alliant Free energy in Iowa

Potent southwest winds bringing fume, dust to central Iowa from Kansas

8:33 p.m.

More:Potent winds are bringing smoke, grit from Kansas wildfires to Iowa

Greene County tornado 'was closer than I actually cared for it to be'

8:55 p.m. Adam Glawe had sent his two kids to the basement as Wednesday's storm pushed toward their Greene County acreage Wed evening. Only before joining them, he paused for a couple of minutes to watch from his deck. Lightning bolts lit up the sky, illuminating a funnel cloud forming well-nigh a mile away.

Glawe snapped a few pictures as the tornado approached his neighbor'south farm merely southward of Jefferson. The tornado wasn't huge, he said, "but information technology was closer than I really cared for it to exist." And then he hustled down to the basement.

The tempest front raced across the countryside, then subsided equally speedily as it arrived. The family came back upstairs after but a few minutes. They could see their neighbor's place had been striking. The neighbor said a befouled and shed were destroyed, and the business firm was damaged. But everyone there was condom, Glawe said.

The Greene County sheriff told KCCI that buildings were flattened.

Subsequently in the evening, Glawe said that although their electricity was out, his family unit felt lucky to have suffered very little damage to their acreage. He was struck past the sharp drib in temperature afterwards the storm line pushed through. Earlier in the day, it had felt most similar summer.

"You step out at present, and it feels more similar what a December evening should experience similar," he said.

Jefferson Mayor Matt Gordon said Wednesday evening that his town was largely spared, although he'd heard of damage in Greene County areas nearby. He'd braced for much worse, after hearing all the warnings.

"I was watching information technology out the door, and information technology really was nil similar the derecho," which devastated swaths of Iowa in 2020.

From 2020:$seven.5 billion and counting: August derecho that slammed Iowa was well-nigh costly thunderstorm in US history, data shows

Des Moines 'pretty fortunate'

7:30 p.grand. In Des Moines, police force are reporting no meaning amercement or injuries — mainly damaged trees, fallen power lines, and some shingles off roofs.

"Overall, it appears our customs was pretty fortunate," said Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesperson for the Des Moines Constabulary Section.

Weather condition service: Multiple reports of tornadoes in Iowa, impairment assessments may have days

vii:15 p.grand. National Weather Service received multiple reports of tornadoes, including a sighting in Boone but none except, the one in Atlantic, were confirmed.

Final confirmation of tornadoes and damage assessments will be available in the coming days, said Allan Curtis of the National Weather Service.

Principal line of storms out of Polk, Warren counties, pelting, wind keep

half-dozen:55 p.g.After most 25 minutes, the main line of storms has made its way out of Polk and Warren counties, the National Atmospheric condition Service in Des Moines said in a tweet.

The tempest in central Iowa is non over, the agency cautioned. A severe thunderstorm warning in central Iowa remains in place until 7:thirty p.m. as rain and strong wind gusts continue.

"A secondary line of weaker storms moving into Waukee surface area. That should move e of Waukee shortly past 7 pm.," the National Atmospheric condition Service tweeted.

Johnston police written report some damage from storm

half-dozen:56 pm

Storm hit Des Moines

6:30 p.k.The Des Moines International Airport recorded current of air gusts at 61 mph as rain and heavy wind fabricated its fashion to Des Moines.

A severe thunderstorm warning in central Iowa  — including Des Moines, Ankeny, W Des Moines, Norwalk, Indianola, Pella, and Grinnell — has been extended to 7:30 p.m.

Employees of the National Weather Service have recorded wind gusts most Johnston Loftier School at virtually 75 mph, co-ordinate to the agency.

Across the metro area, people reported downpours, lightning and roaring wind. MidAmerican reported 4,102 ability outages in Des Moines.

Storm expected to roll through the Des Moines metro soon; Tornado confirmed in Atlantic

half dozen:05 p.m. The National Conditions Service provided an update to the Des Moines Register on the windstorm making its way through Iowa.

Central Iowans should expect the storm to roll through within the hr, according to Donna Dubberke, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Des Moines. Dubberke said that winds will proceed to selection upward through the evening hours and reach up to seventy mph.

Afterwards midnight, the winds should start to diminish, she said.

Allan Curtis of the National Weather Service in Des Moines noted that while information technology's still possible for tornadoes to occur in the metro, the bigger threat is straight line winds.

Northward of the metro is under a larger threat to tornados, Curtis said.

"Nosotros want to stress to people: be smart. If you lot don't take to be exterior traveling in this, don't. Stay inside and away from windows," Curtis said.

The National Weather Service confirmed that there was a tornado in Atlantic, Iowa.

Local Telly station WHO 13 reported a tornado in Jefferson. As of 6:05 p.grand., the National Weather Service could not confirm the tornado.

'Information technology went correct over the height of me'

half-dozen p.yard. Des Moines Annals lensman Bryon Houlgrave was stunned by how fast a  tornado charged toward him in western Iowa Wednesday evening.

Houlgrave was pulled over on Interstate Highway 80 about Atlantic when he saw the funnel cloud south of the highway. He shot a quick video of it, and idea he'd accept time to get away. He was incorrect.

More:Annals photographer encounters tornado near Atlantic; 'It went right over the top of me'

Possible tornado sighted in Atlantic, Iowa

5:30 p.m. A cloud with rotation was reported as it cantankerous Interstate lxxx well-nigh Atlantic Iowa as the storm moved through the state. A Des Moines Register lensman capture the rotation.

Severe thunderstorm warning issued in central Iowa, including Des Moines

5:x p.1000. A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued until 6:30 p.one thousand. in fundamental Iowa, including for Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waukee, Norwalk, Winterset, Madrid, Perry, Guthrie Center, Stuart, Adair, and Greenfield.

Emergency sirens could exist heard in Des Moines starting at well-nigh 5:13  p.thou. as central Iowans received National Conditions Service severe weather alerts on their phones.

Current of air gusts are expected to reach 80 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Multiple flights cancelled at Des Moines airport

five:10 p.m. Several airlines accept decided not to chance landings at the Des Moines International Airport this evening, every bit an epic line of thunderstorms approaches from the west.

Most entering flights scheduled to arrive betwixt 5:xxx and 10 p.thousand. are now listed in red letters every bit "cancelled" on the airport website. They include flights from Denver, New York, Atlanta and Minneapolis.

 A few outbound flights are still listed as "scheduled" during that time, but others, such every bit those headed to Denver or Washington, D.C., are either delayed or cancelled.

Numerous tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings issued

4:55 p.m.:Numerous tornado warnings have been issued by the National Conditions Service until 5:15 p.m. for western Iowa areas including: Oakland, Treynor, Carson, Woodbine, Dunlap, Ute, Council Bluffs, Underwood, Neola, Harlan, Shelby, Earling, Cherokee, Kingsley, Holstein, Correctionville, Anthon, Pierson, Le Mars, Remsen, Moville, Denison, Schleswig, Dow City, Avoca, Walnut, Elk Horn, Earling, Irwin, Defiance, Atlantic, Audubon, and Anita.

And, with wind gusts expected to reach 70 to 90 mph, severe thunderstorm warnings  take been issued as well to terminal until 5:30 p.m..Areas nether those warnings include: Carroll, Denison, Sac City, Atlantic, Audubon, Corning, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Clarinda, Council Bluffs, Onawa, Woodbine, Mapleton, Glenwood, Le Mars, Cherokee, Ida Grove, Sioux Center, Orange Urban center, Sheldon, Spencer, and Storm Lake.

National Weather Service issues all caps instructions, warnings, tornado sighting

iv:15 p.1000. Shortly later on four p.thou., National Weather Service officials in several offices began issuing severe warning.

A tornado touched down most Plattsmouth, Nebraska, which borders Iowa'south western border.  At 4:xiv p.m., the National Weather condition Service in Omaha tweeted in all caps: "FUNNEL ON THE Ground ON HWY 66 Most PLATTSMOUTH!

The National Weather Service also issued a tornado alarm until 4:xv p.m. in Glenwood and Malvern, as well as Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

The weather experts also problems tornado warnings for Mondamin, Moville, Kingsley, Sloan in Iowa until 4:45 p.m.

The weather condition service in Omaha issued a thunderstorm alert that includes Omaha and Council Bluffs until 4:45 p.m. "This destructive storm will incorporate wind gusts to 90 MPH!," it said.

And at 4 p.thousand., information technology tweeted: "If you lot are near Sioux City, IA, TAKE SHELTER At present. - Dangerous, strong winds will movement in shortly. - The radar indicated tornado circulation is estimated to move in around 430 PM."

'A severe line of storms' to enter western Iowa around 4 p.m.

3:32 p.thousand.: A severe line of storms is moving from eastern Nebraska and into western Iowa, according to the National Conditions Service. The agency predicts the windstorm will enter western Iowa at most 4 p.thou. and will produce wind gusts of about sixty to 85 mph.

And with estimated gusts up to 70 mph, a severe thunderstorm alarm has been issued in Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, and South Sioux City, Nebraska until 4:thirty p.m.

A 'one of a kind' storm

2:45 p.m.Allan Curtis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, said in an online briefing posted to YouTube that in that location was widespread potential for severe storms and potentially long-lived storms.

Travel will be hazardous for large-contour vehicles like semitrailers, Curtis said. Fifty-fifty large SUVs could exist blown over. Thunderstorms will be moving fast, at almost 80 mph.

"Call back of it equally Interstate speeds," Curtis said. "It'southward not something that you're going to be able to outrun if you are out on the road."

The first "punch" volition come up from the rainstorms, Curtis said. Then there will be a break of may exist an 60 minutes or 2 where things are breezy, but milder. Some other "punch" will hit later on that, in the form of a windstorm.

Wednesday'southward storm line would "raise eyebrows" even if it happened in the summertime, he said. It's specially concerning to see it happen in December, he said.

"We don't have a lot to compare information technology to," Curtis said. "Information technology's really one of a kind for this state or this area for this time of year."

Des Moines ties tape for highest always Dec temperature in Iowa

ii:36 p.g.Thurman, Iowa set the record for highest December temperature in Iowa on December. six, 1939, with a temperature of 74 degrees, co-ordinate to Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

Des Moines tied that 82-yr-old record Midweek when the metropolis hit 74 degrees at the Des Moines International Airdrome  at i:54 p.m.  Six times between 1889 and 2017 Des Moines hit 69 degrees in December.  Only the urban center had never cleaved 70 degrees in December until Midweek.

The previous record for Dec. 15 was 59 degrees set in 2002.

Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Burlington all broke record loftier temperatures for Dec, according to the National Weather condition Service function in the Quad Cities.

Highest air current gust so far recorded in Lamoni

two:18 p.m.The highest wind gust recorded so far in the coverage expanse for the National Weather Service in Des Moines was 56 mph at eleven:11 a.m. at the Lamoni Airport, according to the NWS.

Des Moines International Airport recorded a gust of 45 mph at 12:23 p.m., co-ordinate to the weather service.

More than:56 mph winds were recorded in one Iowa city. Here are top wind speeds in Iowa cities as of Wednesday afternoon.

Indianola to sound sirens for winds in a higher place 70 mph

ii:16 p.yard. Indianola announced storm sirens volition actuate when winds reach 70 mph or more in the approaching storm. Winds are expected to gust well into that range, or more, through Midweek evening.

Tornado sentry issued for western, key, northern Iowa, including Des Moines

one:35 p.1000. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado spotter for areas in Iowa including Sioux City, Spirit Lake, Fort Dodge, Mason Urban center, Ames, Waterloo, Des Moines and Ottumwa.

Parts of northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas and eastern Nebraska were also included in the tornado lookout man. The tornado spotter will be in effect until 8 p.m. Wed. The weather service warned that "a few tornadoes" are likely. Hail up to a quarter size is possible.

Local governments in key Iowa are canceling meetings, closing offices

1:20 p.m.Alee of expected astringent weather Midweek evening, governments have canceled meetings and buildings are endmost their doors to go along employees and patrons safe.

Closures include Polk County government offices, which closed at 2 p.thou. Wednesday due to the storm. The offices are expected to reopen for normal hours Thursday.

West Des Moines' library airtight at one p.m. and will reopen at 9 a.m. Th.

W Des Moines has also canceled a community workshop for the Historic West Des Moines Main Plan that was set for 5:30 p.thou. at Stilwell Junior High. A visual preference survey on blueprint guidelines that was set to be conducted at that workshop will now be available at historicwdm.com for two weeks starting Th.

What are MidAmerican, Alliant Energy utilities doing to prepare?

i:05 p.m. MidAmerican Energy, the state's largest power provider, says the Des Moines utility has spent recent days preparing for possible outages with the monster windstorm expected to crash branches and trees into power lines.

"Forecasters are calling for this to impact much of Iowa," said Geoff Greenwood, a MidAmerican Energy spokesman, Wednesday. "So, it's not only ane city, simply our entire service area that's nether the gun."

MidAmerican has 704,000 electric customers across Iowa, including Des Moines, Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Waterloo, Iowa Urban center and the Quad Cities.

"We're in an all-hands-on-deck style," Greenwood said.

More:How to written report power outages to MidAmerican and Alliant Energy in Iowa

MidAmerican said crews are set up to work 24 hours a day "for equally long as it'southward needed," Greenwood said. MidAmerican's line crews are fully staffed, and information technology has contract crews prepare to help remove trees and assistance repair ability lines.

It's the same story from Alliant Energy, which serves serves 490,000 electric customers in cities that include Cedar Rapids, Marshalltown and Dubuque.

"Alliant Energy crews are trained and prepared to safely respond to any outages that may occur," said Alliant spokesman Tony Palese in an electronic mail.

MidAmerican's Greenwood said the utility has known for a few days that Iowa could see the potential for loftier winds. But in the concluding 24 hours, the National Weather Service has added the possibility of thunderstorm in north key Iowa.

With not-thunderstorm winds gusting up to seventy mph, winds in the thunderstorm could reach 80 mph or more, the National Weather condition Service said.

Iowa'south rural electrical cooperative crews are on alert and ready to respond if branches or trees knock out power lines, said Scott Meinecke, director of safety for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Cooperatives, which provide electricity to about 15% of the country's population, want customers to call with any outages.

"The more outage data your electric co-op has on mitt, the amend it can pinpoint the exact location and extent of an outage," Meinecke said.

Meinecke asked that customers be patient with outages. Line workers "may not exist able to climb poles or get upwards in the saucepan if the conditions are too windy," he said.

The association reminds Iowans not to touch downed power lines or bulldoze over them. Always assume power lines are energized and unsafe until officials say otherwise. The group wants Iowans to study downed lines, damaged poles or damaged electrical equipment to their cooperative or local police.

Consumers can go online to come across the state'south electrical cooperative outages. The map is updated every 15 minutes.

Tornado watch expected by 2 p.yard.

1 p.m. The National Conditions Service in Des Moines tweeted that a tornado watch is expected to be issued by 2 p.thou. at the latest for portions of western and eastern Nebraska and primal Iowa.

Authorities warn people to 'avert travel that is not absolutely necessary.'

At this fourth dimension of yr officers in Iowa are used to responding alert people to stay off the roads considering of snowstorms, not thunderstorms, said Polk County Sheriff'due south Lt. Ryan Evans.

"It's really weird," Evans said. "We're 10 days before Christmas and we're talking almost lxx degree temperatures and near-hurricane force winds."

Evans warned people to pay "more attention now than always" conditions like the ones expected later Midweek. People should also be mindful of debris which could get in their way, Evans said.

"Visibility is going to be knocked down to who knows how far and that but makes driving that much more hazardous," Evans said.

Pedestrians should to avert walking exterior during the windstorm because flying objects pose hazards, Evans said.

"Those are salubrious wind gusts, so people need to exist mindful," Evans said.

Des Moines Law spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek told central Iowa residents to "avert travel that is not absolutely necessary.

What do high wind warnings, tornado watches mean?

12:10 p.m. All simply 1 of Iowa'south counties were under high wind warnings for Wed. That means at that place is expected to exist a catamenia of at least one hour when in that location are sustained winds of at least twoscore mph, or gusts of at least 58 mph.

From the National Weather Service: "Ensure that all objects outside are secured. Refrain from whatever unnecessary driving during this time since these winds volition make driving very difficult, especially for high contour vehicles. Winds this strong may impairment copse, power lines and pocket-size structures."

At that place are not currently severe thunderstorm or tornado watches or warnings, but in that location could be later this night.

A astringent thunderstorm or tornado picket means the ingredients be for severe weather or tornadoes to develop. A warning means severe weather is occurring or about to occur, or that a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar in the area.

Watches suggest staying alert to potential danger, while warnings urge yous to take activeness from nowadays or imminent danger.

Part of the prep? Removing holiday decorations.

Noon

Keep track of school closures

These central Iowa schools plan early dismissals due to high current of air warning on Wed

Storm chances increasing

eleven:45 a.m.Des Moines is now at a moderate risk of seeing severe thunderstorms, according to the 10:43 a.m. forecast update from the National Atmospheric condition Service.

Des Moines was previously in the "enhanced" category, the quaternary level on the half-dozen level NWS risk assessment from thunderstorms. The latest forecast likewise estimated that wind gusts could range from lxx mph to 100 mph.

Previous estimates just said current of air gusts could exceed fourscore mph.  Wednesday's storms will move fast at 80 mph, according to the NWS. Storms could move through "a typical Iowa county" in 20 minutes, according to the weather service.

"At least a few tornadoes possible, some potent," the NWS warned. "Reaction time may be minimal due to extremely fast storm motion."

Is in that location a tornado lookout in Iowa?

eleven:45 a.m.As of at present, a tornado watch has not been issued for any parts of Iowa. There were threats of tornadoes, weather officials said. The National Weather condition Service pegged chance of tornadoes in parts of northern Iowa at about 10%. Other parts of Iowa are at about 5%

Exact locations in each surface area proceed shifting as the forecast changes throughout the day.

Mile-Long Bridge to close at noon

11:30 a.m. The Mile-Long Bridge which carries Iowa Highway 415 over Saylorville Lake will close at noon Midweek because of high winds anticipated afterwards in the twenty-four hour period, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Transportation.

It is anticipated the bridge will re-open at eight a.yard. Th.

Northwest 78th Avenue on the Saylorville Dam will also close at noon, said Jeff Rose, Saylorville Lake operations project manager.

Keep updated about storm damage reports

11 a.chiliad. As of at present, storm impairment reports accept not even so started rolling in for Iowa.

But, if the windstorm becomes equally powerful as predicted and is accompanied past tornadoes or thunderstorms, damage may follow.

Track storm impairment reports with this local and national map of damage reports.

Chuck Grassley: 'We're following the weather condition closely'

eleven a.m. In his weekly call with reporters, U.South. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he was watching the weather condition and that the federal government would be prepared to aid, if needed.

 "Nosotros're going to follow it very closely, and hopefully we don't get the damage we did in the derecho. If we do, we'll accept to practise the same thing nosotros would do with every major disaster," he said.

Here's how he said that would work: "The governor, nether our law, has to take the beginning step of determining that the amount of damage meets a certain threshold and then submit it to... the president of the U.s.. And you'll see a bipartisan approach by the Iowa congressional delegation getting the president to make a quick certification. And just before long as that certification is fabricated, mostly FEMA, but there'due south other programs that kick in — they kick in just like they did over the weekend with the tornadoes in Kentucky."

State officials are monitoring

10 a.m.On Wednesday morning, Gov. Kim Reynolds said: "Nosotros're monitoring the potential severe weather targeting our country today. Please keep a close middle on the weather and accept a plan in place. Stay safety."

Des Moines Register reporters Phillip Joens, Donnelle Eller, Tony Leys, Andrea Sahouri, Sarah LeBlanc, Brianne Pfannenstiel, data specialist Tim Webber and editor Nib Steiden contributed to this study.

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Source: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/weather/2021/12/15/iowa-high-wind-tornado-map-weather-damage-power-outage-updates/8901263002/

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