A severe storm system that struck central Wisconsin on Wednesday has pushed sharply south, triggering nine simultaneous Severe Thunderstorm Warnings across Iowa and northern Missouri Thursday morning as the National Weather Service warns of golf ball-size hail and 70 mph wind gusts across a corridor spanning dozens of counties.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines issued the warnings covering a broad arc from the Missouri state line into central Iowa — including Decatur, Wayne, Monroe, Davis, Wapello, Lucas, Ringgold, Appanoose, Grundy, Hardin, Marshall, Polk, Story, Tama, Mahaska, Marion, Poweshiek, and more than 20 additional Iowa counties. Nine Missouri counties along and near the Iowa border are also under active warnings: Gentry, Harrison, Mercer, Worth, Nodaway, Andrew, Daviess, DeKalb, and Grundy.
At 7:45 AM CDT, the National Weather Service reported severe thunderstorms along a line extending from near Lamoni, Iowa, to 7 miles northwest of Bethany, Missouri, to near Albany — tracking east at 50 mph. Forecasters cited radar-indicated hazards of golf ball-size hail and 70 mph wind gusts. The agency warned that people and animals outdoors will be injured, with expected damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles, along with considerable tree damage.
The storm activity unfolds beneath broader instability: a Tornado Watch remains in effect until 3:00 PM CDT for south central and southeastern Iowa, covering additional counties not yet under thunderstorm warnings.
Des Moines and Polk County are among those under active Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Thursday morning. At 50 mph forward speed, the storm line offers little margin for residents to reach shelter once radar-indicated timing becomes clear. Ottumwa in Wapello County faces similar conditions, with warnings covering southwestern Wapello County as of the 7:45 AM alert issuance.
The National Weather Service advises all residents in warned areas to move immediately to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
Thursday’s outbreak marks a significant escalation in both scope and geography from Wednesday’s event. Where that system produced a single warning covering Marathon County and southern Lincoln County in Wisconsin, today’s activity spans nine concurrent warnings and an affected footprint of approximately 40 Iowa counties and nine Missouri counties. The rapid southward and southeastward pivot of the storm complex — combined with its accelerating forward motion — points to an intense but compressed severe weather window through the late morning hours.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines is expected to issue updated guidance as the line progresses east through the afternoon.