A multiday severe weather outbreak has produced at least 21 confirmed tornadoes across nine states — Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota — as the Storm Prediction Center logged 88 large hail reports and 572 damaging wind reports over the same 48-hour period.
The National Weather Service has issued Tornado Watch 311, in effect until 3 p.m. CDT, replacing an earlier Severe Thunderstorm Watch 310. The watch spans dozens of counties across central and eastern Iowa and northern Missouri, including Appanoose, Jasper, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, and Wapello counties in Iowa, and Adair, Putnam, Schuyler, and Sullivan counties in Missouri.
Confirmed touchdowns are already on record. According to Storm Prediction Center storm reports, tornadoes were observed at 3 miles east-northeast of Princeton, Missouri; 4 miles east of Mercer, Missouri; 3 miles south-southeast of Garden Grove, Iowa; 2 miles south of Santa Rosa, Missouri; and 7 miles east of Lucerne, Missouri.
The active watch extends across a broad corridor of eastern Iowa — Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Henry, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, and Washington counties among them — and into northwestern Illinois, covering Bureau, Carroll, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox, Marshall, McDonough, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Stephenson, Warren, and Whiteside counties. Residents near Des Moines and Peoria should monitor updated National Weather Service guidance through the afternoon.
The combined toll — 21 tornadoes, 88 hail events, and 572 wind damage reports — places this among the more significant Plains and Midwest severe weather outbreaks in recent weeks. Damaging winds and large hail extended the hazard well beyond tornado corridors, affecting communities across the Northern Plains and the Mississippi River valley.
The Storm Prediction Center’s storm reports reflect post-event confirmed data; the active tornado watch signals that additional rotating storms remain possible through early afternoon. The National Weather Service urges residents in watch areas to identify shelter now, keep multiple ways to receive warnings accessible, and not wait for a warning to be issued before taking protective action.
Tornado Watch 311 expires at 3 p.m. CDT. Additional warnings may be issued as storms develop through the afternoon hours.