National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• An EF-2 tornado was confirmed in Ringgold County.
• The damage in Warren County was from straight-line winds.

The NWS in Des Moines completed these storm surveys in coordination with the Ringgold County Emergency Management Agency and the Warren County Emergency Management Agency.

Preliminary assessment for the damage that occurred over Ringgold County, Iowa on June 1st, 2010

* Event date: June 1st, 2010

* Estimated start time: 508 pm CDT

* Event type: EF-2 tornado

* Event location: 7 miles north of Mount Ayr, Iowa...or about 3 miles southwest of Tingley, Iowa

* Peak wind: estimated near 130 mph based upon the damage.

* Average path width: 100-250 yards

* Path length: approximately 1.5 miles

* Injuries: none

* Fatalities: none

* Discussion/damage: based upon extensive destruction to a 400 foot long metal cattle barn on the west side of Highway 169...the NWS damage survey team has determined that the maximum damage rating for this tornado is EF-2. Other buildings on the large farm site...including the home...received widespread but less severe damage. There was little evidence of a tornado track  southwest of this site...and an intermittent track as the tornado turned north crossing 160th Street. Another farm site was hit on the east side of Highway 169 between 150th and 160th Street...causing at maximum EF-1 damage at that site. The track apparently did not cross north of 150th Street...consistent with spotter reports that the tornado lifted quickly. The estimated path length from the survey is approximately 1.5 miles.

Click on the image below for the larger version. 

Ringgold County tornado

Preliminary assessment for the damage that occurred over Warren County, Iowa on June 1st, 2010

* Event date: June 1st, 2010

* Estimated start time: 845 pm CDT

* Event type: straight line thunderstorm wind damage

* Event location: along Quebec Street between 70th Avenue and 93rd Avenue in Warren County Iowa...about 8-9 miles south-southwest of Indianola.

* Peak wind: preliminary estimate around 80 mph.

* Injuries: none

* Fatalities: none

* Discussion/damage: extensive shingle damage to a house...and surrounding uprooted trees...were indicative of peak winds near 80 mph. Direction of the debris path and width of the damage swath did not indicate a tornado...and was most consistent with straight line thunderstorm wind damage.

For reference...the Enhanced Fujita tornado scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF-0...wind speeds 65 to 85 mph.

EF-1...wind speeds 86 to 110 mph.

EF-2...wind speeds 111 to 135 mph.

EF-3...wind speeds 136 to 165 mph.

EF-4...wind speeds 166 to 200 mph.

EF-5...wind speeds greater than 200 mph.