Strong storms Monday spun up at least one tornado in central Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. No injuries have been reported, Des Moines police said, but there’s widespread damage to buildings and trees, along with downed power poles and lines, which have caused outages for several thousand local MidAmerican Energy customers. Here’s what to know:Interactive Radar | Weather AlertsStorms classified as derechoThe line of storms that swept through Iowa and into Illinois and Indiana have officially qualified as a derecho.The Storm Prediction Center made the announcement Tuesday morning. It’s the second derecho to come through Iowa this year.Wind gusts in Monday’s derecho reached an estimated 97 mph in Dubuque County.George Flagg Parkway closed Tuesday after stormGeorge Flagg Parkway is closed until about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday between SW 30th Street and Park Avenue, according to Des Moines police.Power outage updateAround 10 a.m. Tuesday, MidAmerican Energy reported about 1,300 customers in the Des Moines area still without power. They expect crews to restore power to those people by 7 p.m. tonight.”If you see a downed wire, always assume the line is energized,” MidAmerican said in a news release. “Do not approach it or touch it. Call 911 and our electric emergency line at 800-799-4443 (for electric emergencies only).”Report a power outage at MidAmericanEnergy.com or call 888-427-5632. In the Quad Cities, nearly 17,000 are still without power, with more than 8,000 out on each side of the Mississippi River. Most customers can expect power to be restored by 7 a.m. Wednesday, with full restoration by 7 p.m. Wednesday.Rainfall totals from MondayAlong with a tornado, the storms making up Monday’s derecho dumped heavy rain in parts of Iowa. The highest rainfall reports were mainly in eastern Iowa, where the storms were strongest. In central Iowa, rain totals were generally lower, but a few areas still saw over an inch of moisture.See a list of rainfall totals here. KCCI forecastPartly cloudy skies will linger after Monday night’s storms. Expect a low near 70 degrees overnight with a high of about 84 Tuesday. We might see an isolated shower or storm during the afternoon, but it will be considerably less hot and humid tomorrow.Our temperatures dip below average for several days this week. It’s likely Thursday that we may not see highs above 80 degrees. Much of the week looks quiet with sunshine and highs in the low 80s.Report downed trees block roadsYou can report downed trees blocking the road at DSM.city/Report or with the myDSMmobile app, the city of Des Moines posted on Facebook. Workers are also available 24/7 at (515) 283-4950.Tornado confirmed in central Iowa; tornado warnings expireTornado warnings in central Iowa were allowed to expire around 6:15 p.m. The National Weather Service says a tornado was confirmed in central Iowa on Monday evening. Power outages reported in central IowaMore than 11,000 power outages are being reported as of 8:15 p.m., including about 4,500 in Des Moines, 3,100 in Urbandale and 1,500 in Windsor Heights, according to MidAmerican Energy. Report power outages to MidAmerican at 888-427-5632.There’s also nearly 30,000 MidAmerican customers without power in the Quad Cities.WATCH: See damage in Des Moines from Monday’s stormViewers share visuals of storm, damageCharlie Hansen shared this video of a lightning strike near Stratford:Kent Mauck shared this video of the stormy Des Moines skies: Todd Danner shared this photo of hail that fell near Westside:Molly Topf shared this photo of tree damage at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines:Kelley Balvanz shared this photo of hail that fell near Eldora:Share videos, photos of storm with KCCIIf you’ve captured videos or photos from today’s storms, please consider sharing them with us through this link.Severe thunderstorm watchThe National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for most of central and eastern Iowa. Threats include possible tornados, up to tennis ball sized hail and wind gusts up to 85 mph. The watch is in effect until 11 p.m. Flash flood warningsAreas northeast of the Des Moines are under a flash flood warning after heavy rain Monday afternoon. A flash flood warning is in effect until 10:30 p.m. for parts of Hamilton, Hardin, Franklin and Wright counties, which received up to about 2.5 inches of rain Monday afternoon with another 1-2 inches still possible. A flash flood warning is in effect until 11 p.m. for portions of Grundy, Tama and Black Hawk counties after similar rainfall. “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the weather service said as flash flooding is expected on roadways, small creeks and streams and other low-lying areas. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”KCCI ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TwitterIowa weather: Severe storms Monday afternoonStorm activity could start early Monday afternoon. KCCI meteorologist Anne Campolongo says the threat of supercells could create all modes of severe weather, with damaging wind gusts in the 60-80 mph range being the main threat.Tornadoes and hail could also be a threat, but chances of flooding remains low.Storms will continue in eastern Iowa but should die down Monday evening for the Des Moines metro. Storms should be out of the state by 10 p.m.Will Iowa have a derecho?The line of storms could potentially qualify as a derecho, but we won’t know until after the fact.The criteria for a derecho means the damage path must exceed 400 miles in length and be at least 60 miles wide. Wind gusts must also reach 58 mph over most of the path with gusts over 75 mph.Iowa saw a derecho in May when storms swept through Nebraska and Iowa.Heat wave expected to endDangerous heat has stuck around for several days, but Monday is expected to be the last day with extreme temperatures for the foreseeable future.Most of the southern half of the state, including Polk County, remains under a heat advisory Monday. The heat advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. Monday due to hot temperatures and high humidity.Temperatures are expected to drop into the 80s by Tuesday, signaling the end of the heat wave. Highs should be in the mid-to-low 80s for the rest of the week. Closures, cancellations, postponementsIowa Girls High School Athletic Union softballClass 2A-Region 7 final the Osage at Lisbon has been postponed to 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 16Class 2A-Region 8 final the Durant at Northeast has been postponed to 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 16Class 1A-Region 7 final between Edgewood-Colesburg at North Linn has been pushed back to an 8 p.m. startClass 1A-Region 3 contest with Earlham at Collins-Maxwell has been pushed back to an 8 p.m. startClass 1A-Region 6 final with the Twin Cedars at Wayne has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.Class 1A-Region 8 final with the Wapello at Sigourney has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.Class 2A- Region 4 final with Ogden at East Marshall has been pushed back to 8 p.m.Class 2A-Region 5 final with Pleasantville at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont has been pushed back to 8 p.m.Iowa High School Athletic Association baseballClass 4A-Substate 5 Dubuque Senior at North Scott has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.Class 4A-Substate 7 Iowa City West at Davenport Central has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.Class 4A-Substate 8 Pleasant Valley at Davenport North has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
Strong storms Monday spun up at least one tornado in central Iowa, according to the National Weather Service.
No injuries have been reported, Des Moines police said, but there’s widespread damage to buildings and trees, along with downed power poles and lines, which have caused outages for several thousand local MidAmerican Energy customers.
Here’s what to know:
Interactive Radar | Weather Alerts
Storms classified as derecho
The line of storms that swept through Iowa and into Illinois and Indiana have officially qualified as a derecho.
The Storm Prediction Center made the announcement Tuesday morning. It’s the second derecho to come through Iowa this year.
Wind gusts in Monday’s derecho reached an estimated 97 mph in Dubuque County.
George Flagg Parkway closed Tuesday after storm
George Flagg Parkway is closed until about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday between SW 30th Street and Park Avenue, according to Des Moines police.
Power outage update
Around 10 a.m. Tuesday, MidAmerican Energy reported about 1,300 customers in the Des Moines area still without power. They expect crews to restore power to those people by 7 p.m. tonight.
“If you see a downed wire, always assume the line is energized,” MidAmerican said in a news release. “Do not approach it or touch it. Call 911 and our electric emergency line at 800-799-4443 (for electric emergencies only).”
Report a power outage at MidAmericanEnergy.com or call 888-427-5632.
In the Quad Cities, nearly 17,000 are still without power, with more than 8,000 out on each side of the Mississippi River. Most customers can expect power to be restored by 7 a.m. Wednesday, with full restoration by 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Rainfall totals from Monday
Along with a tornado, the storms making up Monday’s derecho dumped heavy rain in parts of Iowa. The highest rainfall reports were mainly in eastern Iowa, where the storms were strongest. In central Iowa, rain totals were generally lower, but a few areas still saw over an inch of moisture.
See a list of rainfall totals here.
KCCI forecast
Partly cloudy skies will linger after Monday night’s storms. Expect a low near 70 degrees overnight with a high of about 84 Tuesday. We might see an isolated shower or storm during the afternoon, but it will be considerably less hot and humid tomorrow.
Our temperatures dip below average for several days this week. It’s likely Thursday that we may not see highs above 80 degrees. Much of the week looks quiet with sunshine and highs in the low 80s.
Report downed trees block roads
You can report downed trees blocking the road at =AT3VG_Qp6pbvKstl-ZFpSnPp5fYeMEVwZNA61FOCcmiYDEFWnxCNTdDXP5fsoSaKE0F3PXaoScrEHG1i89ESH-cJ5U75VIa4jMvrJt8GKJzhNvJOyNQu6FLDkeUCd9KL5KKhWlbhbxr2Go5f8GPo7iWV6c9V_LSJRuKIOvpB2UIs4gzOZ5M-RhefjHveEJFZ6lU-f46WwA” rel=”nofollow noreferrer” role=”link” tabindex=”0″ target=”_blank”>DSM.city/Report or with the myDSMmobile app, the city of Des Moines posted on Facebook. Workers are also available 24/7 at (515) 283-4950.
Tornado confirmed in central Iowa; tornado warnings expire
Tornado warnings in central Iowa were allowed to expire around 6:15 p.m. The National Weather Service says a tornado was confirmed in central Iowa on Monday evening.
Power outages reported in central Iowa
More than 11,000 power outages are being reported as of 8:15 p.m., including about 4,500 in Des Moines, 3,100 in Urbandale and 1,500 in Windsor Heights, according to MidAmerican Energy. Report power outages to MidAmerican at 888-427-5632.
There’s also nearly 30,000 MidAmerican customers without power in the Quad Cities.
WATCH: See damage in Des Moines from Monday’s storm
Viewers share visuals of storm, damage
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Charlie Hansen shared this video of a lightning strike near Stratford:
Kent Mauck shared this video of the stormy Des Moines skies:
Todd Danner shared this photo of hail that fell near Westside:
Molly Topf shared this photo of tree damage at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines:
Kelley Balvanz shared this photo of hail that fell near Eldora:
Share videos, photos of storm with KCCI
If you’ve captured videos or photos from today’s storms, please consider sharing them with us through this link.
Severe thunderstorm watch
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for most of central and eastern Iowa. Threats include possible tornados, up to tennis ball sized hail and wind gusts up to 85 mph. The watch is in effect until 11 p.m.
Flash flood warnings
Areas northeast of the Des Moines are under a flash flood warning after heavy rain Monday afternoon.
A flash flood warning is in effect until 10:30 p.m. for parts of Hamilton, Hardin, Franklin and Wright counties, which received up to about 2.5 inches of rain Monday afternoon with another 1-2 inches still possible.
A flash flood warning is in effect until 11 p.m. for portions of Grundy, Tama and Black Hawk counties after similar rainfall.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the weather service said as flash flooding is expected on roadways, small creeks and streams and other low-lying areas. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
KCCI ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter
Iowa weather: Severe storms Monday afternoon
Storm activity could start early Monday afternoon. KCCI meteorologist Anne Campolongo says the threat of supercells could create all modes of severe weather, with damaging wind gusts in the 60-80 mph range being the main threat.
Tornadoes and hail could also be a threat, but chances of flooding remains low.
Storms will continue in eastern Iowa but should die down Monday evening for the Des Moines metro. Storms should be out of the state by 10 p.m.
Will Iowa have a derecho?
The line of storms could potentially qualify as a derecho, but we won’t know until after the fact.
The criteria for a derecho means the damage path must exceed 400 miles in length and be at least 60 miles wide. Wind gusts must also reach 58 mph over most of the path with gusts over 75 mph.
Iowa saw a derecho in May when storms swept through Nebraska and Iowa.
Heat wave expected to end
Dangerous heat has stuck around for several days, but Monday is expected to be the last day with extreme temperatures for the foreseeable future.
Most of the southern half of the state, including Polk County, remains under a heat advisory Monday. The heat advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. Monday due to hot temperatures and high humidity.
Temperatures are expected to drop into the 80s by Tuesday, signaling the end of the heat wave. Highs should be in the mid-to-low 80s for the rest of the week.
Closures, cancellations, postponements
Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union softball
Iowa High School Athletic Association baseball
- Class 4A-Substate 5 Dubuque Senior at North Scott has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
- Class 4A-Substate 7 Iowa City West at Davenport Central has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
- Class 4A-Substate 8 Pleasant Valley at Davenport North has been postponed to Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
