NEWS

Storms knock down trees, power lines

The Des Moines Register
City workers handle tree damage in the 900 block of 44th Street in Des Moines this morning.

Residents and businesses in the Des Moines area are cleaning up after powerful storms passed through the region early Tuesday, battering the area with heavy winds.

Thousands of people across Iowa are still without power after last night's storms, and officials in Des Moines warned motorists of trees and wires across roads and malfunctioning traffic lights during the morning commute.

As of early this morning, Des Moines police confirmed 20 spots where fallen trees were blocking traffic, including at 37th Street and Grand Avenue, the 2800 block of University Avenue and the 4200 block of Dean Avenue.

There were 22 spots with wires down and traffic lights were out at 18 intersections including several along University and Euclid avenues.

The problems are already causing traffic snarls across the metro this morning and officials urged motorists to give themselves plenty of time for their commutes. Crews have been working to clear roads all morning.

The overnight storms caused approximately 16 large limbs to come down across Ankeny, but they have already been moved out of the street with equipment. One stop sign was knocked down, and city workers placed stop signs at two traffic lights.

To help residents clean up, the city of Ankeny has extended a tree and branch recycling event this weekend. Trees and branches that have a trunk size no larger than 8 inches in diameter and no smaller than 1 inch in diameter will be accepted at the city's maintenance facility, 211 S.E. Lorenz Drive, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Twigs, tree roots, stumps and yard waste will not be accepted as part of this program.

Urbandale's assistant public works director, Tim Stovie, said there is minor tree damage across Urbandale but no roads are blocked and no power lines are down.

Strong winds downed a tree limb near Lincoln Street Southeast and First Street in Bondurant. Crews placed pylons on the street Tuesday morning to prevent vehicles from coming where the limb crashed down.

The fallen limb snagged a utility line, and at least one residence was without power near the intersection, City Administrator Mark Arentsen said Tuesday morning.

In Altoona, morning commuters saw a few broken branches on streets throughout the community. "There's some branches down here and there," Mayor Skip Conkling said.

One Altoona resident sustained vehicle damage from a fallen tree limb, according to police. Officials had fielded no other storm-related calls as of 10:30 a.m.

"It looks like we dodged a bullet here for the most part," Conkling said.

In Pleasant Hill the storm caused some power outages and damaged a streetlight in Pleasant Hill, Police Chief Tim Sittig said, but service was restored by late Tuesday morning.

Damage to a light fixture at East University Avenue and Northeast 64th Street was probably the most notable damage brought by the storm, Sittig said. The light atop the pole will need to be repaired. "The wind just blew it off the pole," Sittig said.

Numerous residents had backyard furniture disturbed. There were no injuries reported to police. "It could have probably been a lot worse," Sittig said.

Across the state, nearly 15,000 MidAmerican Energy customers are still without power, down from a peak of 28,000 at the height of the storms, with the majority in Des Moines. Nearly 11,000 Alliant Energy customers are still without power.

Another round of thunderstorms is possible tonight in northern Iowa with a slight risk for severe weather. Des Moines will have a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., and more are expected Wednesday.

The storms late Monday and early Tuesday produced at least seven reported tornadoes across the state near Plover, Goodell, Laurens, West Bend, Clear Lake, Mason City and Tripoli. At least two of those twisters, near West Bend and Tripoli, were confirmed by the National Weather Service Monday.

Winds of more than 60 miles per hour were reported in at several spots around the Des Moines metro as well as Brooklyn, Lake Red Rock, Boone, Waterloo and Mason City.

Greene, in Butler County, and Polk City recorded wind gusts of 75 miles per hour.

Heavy rain fell as well with 3.98 inches in Parkersburg and 2.85 inches in Hampton. Some areas saw large hail.

Damage was reported to homes, outbuildings, cars and trees in northwest Iowa.

In Nebraska, a powerful storm with tornadoes destroyed more than half the town of Pilger, killing a 5-year-old child and injuring at least 19, officials said.

A downed tree rests across a car in the 1400 block of 30th Street in Des Moines, just north of Forest Avenue and Drake University.