…FINAL DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR NORTHWEST MADISON COUNTY…

…EF2 TORNADO DAMAGE ASSESSED…

THE FOLLOWING IS A FINAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED OVER MADISON COUNTY ON MARCH 22ND.

* EVENT DATE: MARCH 22ND

* ESTIMATED START TIME: 6:15 PM CDT

* EVENT TYPE: EF2 TORNADO

* EVENT LOCATION: 7 MILES NORTH WEST OF WINTERSET TO 10 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF WINTERSET

* PEAK WIND: 120 MPH

* AVERAGE PATH WIDTH: AROUND ONE HALF MILE (THANK YOU IOWA HELICOPTER)

* PATH LENGTH: 11 MILES (THANK YOU IOWA HELICOPTER)

* INJURIES: NONE KNOWN

* FATALITIES: NONE

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF WINTERSET AROUND 6:15 PM CDT. THE TORNADO WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A LARGE CIRCULATION UP TO 0.8 TENTHS OF A MILE WIDE (IOWA HELICOPTER) AND GENERALLY OF EF1 (90-100 MPH WIND) STRENGTH. EYEWITNESSES REPORT THE TORNADO WAS RAIN WRAPPED AND DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH FROM THE RAIN SHIELD AS IT APPROACHED THEM FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE TORNADO MOVED ACROSS SEVERAL RESIDENCES…MANY OF WHICH HAD BROKEN WINDOWS AND SOME ROOF DAMAGE ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT TREE AND OUTBUILDING DAMAGE. ONE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED HOUSE THAT WAS NEAR COMPLETION…SLID OFF ITS FOUNDATION WITH THE METAL TIE DOWN STRAPS EITHER SHEERED OFF OR PULLED OUT OF THE CONCRETE FOUNDATION. THIS DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH WINDS AROUND 120 MPH WHICH ARE EF2 STRENGTH. THE ROOF STRUCTURE REMAINED INTACT AND WAS AIDED BY HURRICANE CLIPS. SEVERAL OTHER RESIDENCES SUFFERED PARTIAL ROOF REMOVAL WITH NO HURRICANE CLIPS NOTED. ONE OTHER LOCATION HAD NUMEROUS TREES EITHER UPROOTED OR TOPPED AND SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WITH THE ROOFS BLOWN OFF. OBJECTS NEAR THE GROUND DID NOT SUFFER NEAR AS MUCH DAMAGE SUGGESTING THE PEAK WINDS AT THIS LOCATION WERE JUST OFF THE SURFACE. THE TORNADO LIFTED AROUND 10 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF WINTERSET OR 5 MILES SOUTH OF VAN METER AROUND 6:35 PM CDT.