Officials now say Wednesday’s tornado outbreak was the third-largest in Iowa history. The National Weather Service office in metro Des Moines, which covers western and central Iowa, initially put the total for its area at 12 tornadoes. That didn’t include the parts of the state covered by Weather Service offices in Davenport and in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff (HAY-gun-hof) says the new combined tally is stunning.
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The total number may actually rise further in the days ahead as the agency coordinates with emergency managers across Iowa and studies high-resolution satellite photos, which will help to refine tornado track details.
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The central Iowa office sent survey teams out on Thursday to inspect the damage at five sites in or near: Lake City, Stanhope, Dysart, Shell Rock and Waverly.
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The other four tornadoes surveyed by the Johnston office were all ranked as EF-1s. Despite the widespread outbreak of severe storms, no serious injuries were reported.