Twenty years ago today, shortly after 8 p.m. on April 13, 2006, a devastating F2 tornado ripped through the heart of Iowa City, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
The cyclone traveled a roughly five-mile stretch through the city, first touching down near Walmart along Highway 1, making its way north, leaving more than 6,000 residents without power.
Damage was widespread, stretching beyond Burlington Street and east of the downtown district. The state of Iowa reported that nearly 1,000 homes in Iowa City sustained damage, with at least 300 destroyed or heavily damaged.
The 130-year-old St. Patrick Catholic Church on E. Court Street was flattened by swirling winds that were estimated to have reached 150 miles per hour, while the Riverside Dairy Queen and a University of Iowa sorority house were also destroyed.
Officials said the tornado caused $10 million in damage, $4 million to public buildings and $6 million on the University of Iowa campus, forcing the school to cancel classes the next day.
Miraculously, no major injuries or deaths were reported, with only 21 residents seeking medical attention.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: 20 years since the Iowa City tornado. A look back at the F2 twister
Reporting by Staff report, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Ames Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
