Siouxland spared damage from storms
7:00 AM
By Molly Montag Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, May 30, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- Officials say no one was injured and no areas were severely damaged Thursday evening, despite numerous reports of funnel clouds and possible tornadoes in Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Forecasters from National Weather Service offices in Sioux Falls and Omaha said there were reports of tornado touchdowns one mile east of Turin, Iowa; four miles northeast of Springfield, S.D.; and four miles southwest of Irene, S.D.
Monona County law enforcement officials said additional funnel clouds were spotted near Onawa, Iowa. Damage was limited mostly to downed trees.
"There's been no injuries that we have reports on," said Monona County dispatcher Les Rodenburg.
Reports of substantial damage also led forecasters to believe there may have been tornadoes near Centerville, S.D. and Herman, Neb. Officials said those reports wouldn't likely be confirmed until today.
National Weather Service meteorologist Terry Landsvork of the Omaha office said it's possible the tornado that touched down near Turin, Iowa, may also have snapped power poles and flipped irrigation systems west of Herman, Neb.
If it is the same tornado, Landsvork said it most likely touched down in those two places and did not travel along the ground for the whole distance. It is unknown how long the tornado was on the ground near Turin.
Meteorologist Shawn Liebl said the Sioux Falls office received reports of snapped power lines and trees near Centerville, S.D.
The storms did produce reports of 2-inch hail one mile northeast of Springfield, which is located near the west end of Lewis and Clark Lake. Areas near Irene, S.D., reported up to 1.75-inch hail, Liebl said.
Although the storms did not cause severe damage Thursday night, officials said there is still the possibility of flooding from heavy rains.
Landsvork said the storms formed one right after another -- called "training" -- which means they were lining up to dump rain over the same area repeatedly as the evening wore on.
"It's along the Platte River from Columbus on west to Grand Island," he said. "They're training, so (areas already hit by the storms) are going to keep getting this all night long."
Meteorologists issued a flood watch for several counties around Sioux City even before the severe weather formed, because of steady amounts of rain over the past week. The watch was to remain in effect until this morning.
"We've picked up about 2.5 inches in the past seven days, so that has pushed some of the rivers up and (also) the area creeks and streams," Liebl said.
Liebl said the flash flood watch was issued mostly due to the threat from flooding of small streams in urban areas, such as on roadways and streets.
"With these heavy rains (like the ones predicted), you could see small streams rise pretty quickly," Liebl said.
Lt. Marti Reilly, spokesman for the Sioux City Police Department, said motorists should be aware of the dangers of driving through flooded streets.
Some typical problem areas include the Hamilton Boulevard underpass at Interstate 29 and in the 700 block of Gordon Drive near the Holiday Inn.
-- Journal staff writer Dolly A. Butz contributed to this report
Forecasters from National Weather Service offices in Sioux Falls and Omaha said there were reports of tornado touchdowns one mile east of Turin, Iowa; four miles northeast of Springfield, S.D.; and four miles southwest of Irene, S.D.
Monona County law enforcement officials said additional funnel clouds were spotted near Onawa, Iowa. Damage was limited mostly to downed trees.
"There's been no injuries that we have reports on," said Monona County dispatcher Les Rodenburg.
Reports of substantial damage also led forecasters to believe there may have been tornadoes near Centerville, S.D. and Herman, Neb. Officials said those reports wouldn't likely be confirmed until today.
National Weather Service meteorologist Terry Landsvork of the Omaha office said it's possible the tornado that touched down near Turin, Iowa, may also have snapped power poles and flipped irrigation systems west of Herman, Neb.
If it is the same tornado, Landsvork said it most likely touched down in those two places and did not travel along the ground for the whole distance. It is unknown how long the tornado was on the ground near Turin.
Meteorologist Shawn Liebl said the Sioux Falls office received reports of snapped power lines and trees near Centerville, S.D.
The storms did produce reports of 2-inch hail one mile northeast of Springfield, which is located near the west end of Lewis and Clark Lake. Areas near Irene, S.D., reported up to 1.75-inch hail, Liebl said.
Although the storms did not cause severe damage Thursday night, officials said there is still the possibility of flooding from heavy rains.
Landsvork said the storms formed one right after another -- called "training" -- which means they were lining up to dump rain over the same area repeatedly as the evening wore on.
"It's along the Platte River from Columbus on west to Grand Island," he said. "They're training, so (areas already hit by the storms) are going to keep getting this all night long."
Meteorologists issued a flood watch for several counties around Sioux City even before the severe weather formed, because of steady amounts of rain over the past week. The watch was to remain in effect until this morning.
"We've picked up about 2.5 inches in the past seven days, so that has pushed some of the rivers up and (also) the area creeks and streams," Liebl said.
Liebl said the flash flood watch was issued mostly due to the threat from flooding of small streams in urban areas, such as on roadways and streets.
"With these heavy rains (like the ones predicted), you could see small streams rise pretty quickly," Liebl said.
Lt. Marti Reilly, spokesman for the Sioux City Police Department, said motorists should be aware of the dangers of driving through flooded streets.
Some typical problem areas include the Hamilton Boulevard underpass at Interstate 29 and in the 700 block of Gordon Drive near the Holiday Inn.
-- Journal staff writer Dolly A. Butz contributed to this report
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