Powerful storms rip through NE Iowa, damaging Spillville, McGregor, and other towns

Strong storms tore through northeast Iowa on Wednesday, leaving behind damage across the region and injuring at least one person.

McGregor, in Clayton County on the Wisconsin border, was among the hardest hit areas.

Meteorologist Clint Aegerter with the National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wis., confirmed an EF-1 tornado hit McGregor at approximately 6:15 p.m. Wednesday. Wind speeds reached 110 mph, Aegerter said.

The tornado dissipated quickly, he added.

'It was a fairly quick tornado,' Aegerter said, adding the area experienced flooding and advising motorists to be on the lookout for water over roads.

Photos posted to social media from the city of about 900 people showed heavily damaged buildings, with trees and debris littering the streets.

The Clayton County Sheriff's Office posted a notice on Facebook Wednesday evening that all traffic going in and out of McGregor was being shut down 'due to extreme storm damage.' The sheriff's office also noted that its building was without power, so emergency calls were being rerouted to Delaware County.

In Allamakee County, the Sheriff's Office received a report of a barn that had blown down, trapping a person under the debris, according to a news release.

Dennis Deal, 67, of Waukon, was in the barn doing chores when high winds collapsed the structure, the Sheriff's Office reports. Deal was pinning beneath the barn. He was located by first responders and extricated from the building. He was transported by ambulance to Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon for treatment of injuries, the Sheriff's Office reports.

His condition is not known at this time.

Meanwhile, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday issued a disaster proclamation for Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette and Winneshiek counties in response to Wednesday's severe weather. It was also announced Thursday that Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Mark Schouten, Iowa's Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, will tour storm damage Friday in McGregor and Clermont.

The proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the damage. The proclamation also activates the Iowa Individual Assistance program for qualifying residents of the four counties.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $40,320 for a family of three. Grants are available for car or home repairs, clothing or food replacement and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery.

The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website at dhs.iowa.gov. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the east central, northeast and southeast portions of Iowa, including Linn and Johnson counties.

Thunderstorms with strong winds, small hail and ample rainfall are predicted to impact Eastern Iowa this morning. Heavy rain falling in areas already saturated from recent storms may lead to localized flash flooding, the National Weather Service reports.

The outlook states that later today and tonight, scattered thunderstorms may redevelop across the eastern part of the state with the potential to produce 'damaging wind, large hail and torrential rainfall.'

Looking ahead, the National Weather Service says several rounds of thunderstorms are expected to push across Iowa on Friday and Saturday, mostly north of Interstate 80.

'There is the potential for these storms to be severe with damaging winds and large hail. Torrential rainfall is likely with several inches of rain possible in a short time,' the National Weather Service states in its outlook. 'Confidence is low on the timing and exact location of the thunderstorm complexes.'

Furthermore, the National Weather Service is forecasting hot and humid conditions through Saturday. The hottest temperatures are expected south of Highway 30.

Temperatures are expected to push well into the 90s with the heat index reaching between 105 and 110 each afternoon.