Lightning struck homes, winds reached 70 miles per hour, and Tuesday’s storm left downed branches and trees in its path across eastern Iowa. At 6:22 a.m. Tuesday a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Washington County and the greater KCII-listening area. The warning lasted until 8 a.m. Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen advised there were flash flood warnings in Iowa and Johnson County, “Turn around and go a different way, do not drive through the flood waters. You never know how deep it could be, or if roads have been washed out underneath it. With the conditions that we had earlier this year and last fall, some of the roads have been compromised and just need one last little push to wash part of them away. So don’t go through flood waters, go around.”

An inch of rain fell in Washington before noon Tuesday. Lightning struck homes in both Washington and Iowa City. According to the National Weather Service, winds reached 70 miles per hour near New London. There was damage to trees and power lines in Sigourney. And over three inches of rain fell in Williamsburg. Tornadoes were spotted in Warren County in central Iowa.

Three members of the KCII Severe Weather Action Team brought you live coverage of the storms. And had the power gone out, KCII would stay on the air with our emergency backup generators. Partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 70’s are expected going into the weekend, listen to KCII for weather updates.