PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
138 PM CDT SUN APR 10 2011

…TORNADO NEAR ARTHUR IOWA RATED EF2…

A SUPERCELL DEVELOPED OVER NORTHEAST NEBRASKA ON THE EVENING OF
APRIL 9 AND PRODUCED SEVERAL TORNADOES OVER NORTHWESTERN IOWA. ONE
TORNADO DEVELOPED SOUTHWEST OF ARTHUR IOWA IN SOUTHERN IDA COUNTY
BETWEEN 8:15 AND 8:20 PM CDT. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE
TO A FARM THAT WAS LOCATED 2 MILES WEST OF ARTHUR WHERE SEVERAL
BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED AND THERE WAS DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES.

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ONSITE SURVEY HAS RATED THE TORNADO AS
EF2. THE TORNADO DEVELOPED SOUTHWEST OF ARTHUR AND STRENGTHEN AS IT
CROSSED HIGHWAY 175 TWO MILES WEST OF ARTHUR WHERE IT DID EF2 DAMAGE
TO A FARMSTEAD. THE TORNADO WAS AT ITS WIDEST IN THIS AREA…HAVING
A WIDTH OF ONE-QUARTER MILE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEAST
AND WEAKENED AS IT MOVED NORTH OF ARTHUR. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH
LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES.

A WEAKER TORNADO DEVELOPED SOUTHWEST OF GALVA IOWA AROUND 840 PM
CDT. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED EF1 WHEN IT DID DAMAGE TO AN ETHANOL
PLANT 2 MILES SOUTH OF GALVA NEAR HIGHWAY 20.

OTHER STORM SURVEYS ARE BEING PERFORMED ACROSS NORTHWESTERN IOWA BY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAMS FROM DES MOINES IOWA AND OMAHA
NEBRASKA. THIS INCLUDES A SURVEY OF A TORNADO WHICH DID DAMAGE NEAR
NEWELL IOWA IN BUENA VISTA COUNTY.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THESE TORNADOES…INCLUDING SPECIFIC TRACK
INFORMATION…WILL BE POSTED TO OUR WEB SITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/SIOUXFALLS EARLY NEXT WEEK.