Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Buchanan and Benton Counties in Iowa

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Quad Cities has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Buchanan County in northeastern Iowa and northeastern Benton County in east central Iowa. The warning was issued at 9:29 PM CST following radar-indicated storm activity in the region.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following geographic regions and specific locations:

• Counties: Buchanan County and northeastern Benton County.
• Cities and Towns: Independence, Jesup, Fairbank, Winthrop, Hazleton, Quasqueton, Lamont, Brandon, Rowley, Aurora, Mount Auburn, Stanley, Littleton, Monti, and Otterville.
• Parks and Landmarks: Lime Creek County Park, Winthrop Golf Course, Wapsipinicon Golf Course, Fontana County Park, and the Buchanan County Fairgrounds.
• Transportation: This warning includes Interstate 380 between mile markers 46 and 55.

What You Should Do

For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Residents are urged to move indoors immediately due to continuous cloud-to-ground lightning. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Expected Conditions

• Wind: Gusts up to 60 mph are expected, which may cause damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
• Hail: Penny-sized hail has been indicated by radar.
• Storm Movement: At 9:29 PM CST, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Oelwein to near Jesup to near Brandon, moving northeast at 50 mph.
• Lightning: Continuous cloud-to-ground lightning is occurring with these storms.

Timeline

The Severe Thunderstorm Warning is effective from 9:29 PM CST and is set to expire at 10:30 PM CST on March 6. Additionally, a Tornado Watch remains in effect for northeastern and east central Iowa until 4:00 AM CST.