The National Weather Service confirmed two EF1 tornadoes touched down near Donnellson in Lee County Tuesday evening, March 10th, marking the earliest tornadoes in the county in a calendar year since 1967.
The tornadoes were part of a severe weather outbreak that brought widespread damaging hail and multiple severe weather warnings across eastern Iowa and northern Illinois. No injuries or fatalities were reported in the National Weather Service Quad Cities coverage area.
Southwest Donnellson Tornado
The first tornado touched down southwest of Donnellson at 9:05 p.m. and remained on the ground for approximately three minutes.
Details:
- EF Rating: EF-1
- Estimated Peak Winds: 100 mph
- Path Length: 1.5 miles
- Maximum Width: 50 yards
- Injuries/Deaths: 0/0
The tornado began its 1.5-mile path by downing tree branches before causing damage to outbuildings and trees along its path.
Wilson Lake Park Tornado
The second tornado struck near Wilson Lake Park at 9:26 p.m. and tracked for five minutes.
Details:
- EF Rating: EF-1
- Estimated Peak Winds: 90 mph
- Path Length: 2.1 miles
- Maximum Width: 50 yards
- Injuries/Deaths: 0/0
The tornado began with damage to tree branches, then caused damage to fascia on a house before continuing to damage trees along its 2.1-mile path.
Lee County Emergency Management assisted the National Weather Service in conducting the storm surveys.
Damage Reports
Local residents reported damage on social media throughout the Donnellson area, though most escaped with minor impacts.
“Had a little damage to my place but all good,” Kenneth Smith reported. “Few shingles off some roofs and limbs down in other spots but that building (pictured in article) was the only major damage I’ve seen.” He added, “Looks pretty good considering what came through here.”
One cattle farmer lost two buildings, including a 60×100 structure. Harvestville Farms, a popular attraction in southeast Iowa east of Donnellson, was also hit. Livestock and people at the farm were reported to be okay.
Record-Breaking Warmth Fueled Storms
Tuesday’s severe weather was preceded by extreme early-season warmth. Burlington set a new record high of 83°, easily surpassing the previous March 10th record of 76°. The average high for the date is 48°.
This marks the earliest in a calendar year that Burlington has reached 83° in all historical records. The last time Burlington reached 83° was October 6th, 2025—155 days, or over five months earlier.
Widespread Severe Weather Activity
The severe weather outbreak affected a large portion of eastern Iowa and northern Illinois, with the National Weather Service receiving hundreds of storm reports. March 10th saw widespread coverage of damaging hail, with reports of hail up to baseball size in the region.
Multiple tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued throughout the evening:
Jefferson County:
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning: 6:11 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
- Tornado Watch: 3:58 p.m. to 10:46 p.m.
- Tornado Warning: 6:38 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Van Buren County:
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning: 7:55 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Tornado Watch: 3:58 p.m. to 10:46 p.m.
- Tornado Warning: 8:02 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
- Tornado Warning: 8:41 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Davis County:
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning: 6:06 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning: 7:22 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Tornado Watch: 6:00 p.m. to 8:46 p.m.
Wapello County:
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning: 6:06 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Many storms exhibited rotation, and several were persistent enough in a favorable environment to warrant tornado warnings. Jefferson County, north of Van Buren County and northwest of Lee County, received a tornado warning, however, damage was not visible.
The National Weather Service noted they are still reviewing information from the hundreds of reports received but do not expect any major changes to what has been documented.
Photography by Kenneth Smith of Donnellson damage.
