January tornado touches down in eastern Iowa, blows vehicles off I-80, sheriff says

Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Des Moines Register
·1 min read
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A semi-tractor trailer and passenger vehicle were blown off Interstate 80 near Williamsburg, Iowa, around 2 p.m. Jan. 16 after at least one tornado touched down, according to the Iowa County Sheriff's Office.
A semi-tractor trailer and passenger vehicle were blown off Interstate 80 near Williamsburg, Iowa, around 2 p.m. Jan. 16 after at least one tornado touched down, according to the Iowa County Sheriff's Office.

A winter tornado touched down around 2:01 p.m. in Iowa County near Williamsburg Monday, part of a storm front that blew a truck and passenger vehicle off Interstate 80, according to the National Weather Service and Iowa County Sheriff's Office.

While there were no injuries reported, a semitractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle were blown off the roadway near rural Williamsburg, the sheriff's office said in a release. There were also reports of power lines down, though few electrical customers were affected by the damage, the office said.

The tornado continued across I-80 to the northeast, then headed toward the South Amana area before receding into the sky, the sheriff's office said.

A more complete survey will be available Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

No warnings or watches were issued for Polk County or the Des Moines metro area.

This story will be updated.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter at @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa tornado touches down near Williamsburg Monday