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Tornado seen during lightning flash
Tornado seen during a lighting
flash, part of this video
by spkozma.

Iowa City Tornado Storm, April 13, 2006

On April 13, 2006, Iowa City was struck by a severe storm that included large hail and tornados that left a path of destruction three and a half miles long and a third of a mile wide. This was the first time a tornado has ever hit Iowa City directly. The National Weather Service has reported five or six tornados were in Johnson County and that two of those touched down inside Iowa City. Miraculously, there were no serious injuries or deaths in the Iowa City area.

One of the tornados in Iowa City was classified as an F2 on the Fujita scale with 150 mph winds. The occurrence of the F2-class tornado was very unlikely; historically only 15% of Iowa tornados have been an F2 or higher. This Iowa City storm also marked the beginning of a rare tornado outbreak sequence that struck across the country throughout the following week. There were thirty-three confirmed tornados in this sequence with strengths ranging from F0 to F2 and impacting mainly the upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states.


Night of the Storm

Path of the Tornados
Path of the tornados through
Iowa City, also available in this
printable version.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported on the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Timeline of Thursday's Storm Activity, which laid out the details of the evening. The National Weather Service first issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 7:32 p.m. Tornado sirens were activated at 8:00 p.m. and continued to sound as the warnings were extended throughout the evening. By this time hail was being reported throughout the area, some as large as golf balls.

The first reported tornado sightings occurred along Highway 1 at 8:30 p.m. The funnels moved northeast up to South Riverside Drive, across the river, and into the City Plaza pedestrian mall. By around 9:00 p.m. the storm had continued on northeast into Iowa City's historic and conservation districts. The National Weather Service extended the tornado warning for Johnson County until 9:45 p.m.

Iowa City Public Access Television, Channel 18, provided live footage and information during the aftermath of the storm throughout the evening. The channel posted information phoned in by viewers and served as an important communication hub during the hours immediately following the disaster.


Property Damage

The Thursday night tornado and hail damage was severe, destroying buildings, causing gas leaks, dropping power lines, and forcing many to be displaced from their homes. Over a thousand residential units and hundreds of automobiles were damaged or destroyed by the storm. More than six thousand residents were without electricity immediately after the disaster, and there were reports of nearly fifty gas leaks.

Tornado Damage to St. Patrick’s Church
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church was
one of the many buildings to
sustain severe damage. Photo
by Press-Citizen / Matthew Holst.

The downtown area of Iowa City was hit hard from Burlington Street to Iowa Avenue, and College Green Park lost many trees. The roof of the Starbucks was ripped off, and Happy Joe's Restaurant was completely destroyed. The east side and roof of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority house on Washington Street were demolished. And many trees and street lights throughout the area were found spilt, torn, or completely missing.

Saint Patrick's Catholic Church on Court Street also sustained heavy damage as a tornado hit. The roof, steeple, and part of a side were blown off. The New Pioneer Co-op on Van Buren Street escaped structural damage, but lost tens of thousands of dollars in perishable goods due to the power outage.

Down South Riverside Drive the Dairy Queen, which had served Iowa City customers for 54 years, was literally flattened to rubble. The owners have stated they do plan to rebuild the ice cream parlor and will hopefully reopen in mid-June. Hartwig Motors, Professional Muffler and other businesses in the area also sustained major damage.

Hundreds of new cars were damaged and wrecked beyond repair at the dealerships along Highway 1. Both Menards and Wal-Mart suffered roof damage. The Menards' sign was lost and the outdoor garden center at Wal-Mart was left in complete disarray. It was also reported that shopping carts were thrown as far as a mile away from the stores.

The scene at Governor St. and Washington St.
The scene at Governor Street
and Washington Street.
Photo by Winston Barclay

The Iowa City historic and conservation districts were also hit hard with around 125 properties injured during the storm. The districts most severely damaged were the College Green, College Hill and Woodlawn Historic Districts, all listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and the College Hill Conservation District.


Cleanup and Cost

The Friday following the storm Governor Tom Vilsack declared a state of emergency in Johnson County, and two-dozen National Guard soldiers were called in to help maintain order. While there were isolated reports of minor looting in some areas, overall the public conducted themselves well. The National Guard was dismissed on the Saturday after the event.

Cleanup efforts were underway almost immediately with volunteers coming from all over the state, and more than 300 students from the University of Iowa pitched in to help. The figures are not yet fully finalized, but the cost to repair damages to all of the Iowa City buildings damaged by the storm has been estimated at $12 million.


Maps of the Storm and Tornado Information


Photo Archives


Video Footage

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