Brief tornado west of Cedar Rapids delayed BLOCKtoberfest Friday

Just as the second annual BLOCKtoberfest was getting started in downtown Cedar Rapids on Friday, storm sirens rang out around 5:45 p.m.

About 30 miles west, north of Blairstown, multiple storm spotters observed a tornado swirling in the stormy skies. Preliminary damage survey results from the National Weather Service listed 5:42 p.m. as the approximate time of the twister.

The tornado touched down in a field, was short-lived and produced no known damage or injuries, according to the bureau. It was labeled as EF-U, or EF-“unknown” — a rating that means, due to the lack of damage left behind, meteorologists couldn’t determine the twister’s strength.

“The only way we knew anything had happened was because we had video and photo,” said meteorologist Brian Pierce of the NWS Quad Cities bureau.

Meanwhile, a tornado warning was issued for Linn and Benton counties at 5:44 p.m. and lasted until 6:30 p.m. Another tornado warning was issued at 6:30 p.m. and lasted until 7:15 p.m.

BLOCKtoberfest — a co-production between the Downtown Self Supported Municipal Improvement District and the Fun not Fancy Restaurant Group — began at 5 p.m. The “rain or shine” block party advertised bands Pork Tornadoes and Running in Place and offered food and drink choices for attendees.

TORNADO north of Blairstown. #iawx @NWSQuadCities @NWSDesMoines pic.twitter.com/wjAfgLZxSt

— Adam 📷⛈️ (@adamorgler) September 22, 2023

After the storm sirens blared, the event was put on a brief pause, said Nikki Wilcox, director of strategic development of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. The Downtown Self Supported Municipal Improvement District falls under the alliance’s umbrella.

Running in Place, the opener, was supposed to start playing at 6 p.m. Its set was pushed back to 7 p.m.; vendors stopped selling products for the time being. Pork Tornadoes was also pushed back an hour and began its set around 8:45 p.m.

The street permit only lasted until 11 p.m., so both bands had to condense their play time to accommodate the delay. But the weather didn’t dissuade attendees: Event organizers are estimating an even bigger crowd than last year, although final numbers haven’t been confirmed yet, Wilcox said.

“The event goes on rain or shine. But we didn’t think there’d be tornado sirens,” she said. “We’re just glad that it held out.”

Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; brittney.miller@thegazette.com