Photo credit: Tracy McArtor

The KCII Severe Weather Action Team took to the air Tuesday night to follow a series of storms in the listening area.

At approximately 4:53 p.m. the National Weather Service Quad Cities Office issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northwest Washington, northeast Keokuk, southern Iowa, and southwest Johnson counties. Less than 10 minutes later, this was followed by a tornado warning for the same locations.

Five confirmed tornadoes touched down during KCII’s live coverage: near Sharon Center in Johnson County, between Sharon Center Road and Highway 1 in Johnson County, eight miles southwest of West Branch in Johnson County, and along Highway 22 between Nichols and Lone Tree in Johnson County. The fifth tornado was confirmed near the Muscatine County Fairgrounds in West Liberty.

Additional threats with these storms included heavy rains and high winds. Spotter reports indicated 81 mile-per-hour winds in Kalona, Riverside, and Frytown in Washington County. These were strong enough to flip a trailer on Highway 22 between Kalona and Wellman. Kalona also received 2.75 inches of rainfall in an hour.

KCII wrapped up its live coverage shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. Had the power gone out, coverage would have continued with our backup generator. The one to count on for Severe Weather Action Team coverage is KCII.