Funnel clouds form, quickly dissipate over Perry Wednesday

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Twin funnel clouds are seen forming west of the Perry Gold and Country Club Wednesday afternoon in this photo by Danny Miner of Perry.

Emergency preparedness sirens sounds at 2:22 p.m. Wednesday when funnel clouds formed in the skies over Perry but dissipated before causing serious damage.

Retired Dallas County Emergency Management Director Barry Halling, storm spotting along Iowa Highway 144 at 330th Street north of Perry in Boone County, said he witnessed two funnel clouds form but not touch down to the northwest of Perry.

Law enforcement radio traffic indicated at least one tornado was seen northwest of the Tyson Fresh Meats plant near Perry. The tornado began to pick up debris, according to the traffic, but soon dissipated.

Danny Miner of Perry photographed twin funnel clouds forming west of the Perry Golf and Country Club about 2:25 p.m.

A tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service and remains in effect until 7 p.m. for the Perry area and the followng Iowa counties: Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Butler, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Jasper, Mahaska, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Story, Tama, Wapello, Webster and Wright.

Along with Perry, the following Iowa cities are under the tornado watch until 7 p.m.: Aplington, Belmond, Boone, Cedar Falls, Clarion, Clarksville, Conrad, Des Moines, Dike, Dumont, Dysart, Eagle Grove, Eldora, Fort Dodge, Gladbrook, Greene, Grinnell, Grundy Center, Hampton, Humboldt, Iowa Falls, Jefferson, Marshalltown, Newton, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Parkersburg, Reinbeck, Shell Rock, Tama, Toledo, Traer, Waterloo, Waukee, Waverly, Webster City and Wellsburg.

Tornadoes are possible along with isolated wind gusts to 70 mph and isolated large hail to 1.5 inches in diameter.

The flash flood watch issued earlier Wednesday by the NWS remains in effect until Thursday morning for a large portion of central and western Iowa.

The flash flood watch remains in effect for the central Iowa counties of Boone, Dallas, Hamilton, Polk, Story and Webster, the north-central Iowa counties of Humboldt Kossuth, and Wright, the northwest Iowa counties of Emmet, Palo Alto and Pocahontas, the south-central Iowa county of Madison, the southwest Iowa counties of Adair and Cass and the west-central Iowa counties of Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and Sac.

A widespread swath of rain — falling in amounts from 1.5 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts up to 4 to 5 inches — is anticipated Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday. The heavy rain will fall on top of grund already saturated from recent rains earlier this week.

Intense rainfall rates are likely with these storms, and 2- to 4-inch-per-hour rates will be common Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Travelers shoud be prepared for water over roads following rapid rises in creeks and streams or even water flowing from farm fields. If a roadway is closed or if water is running over it, find an alternate route.

Turn around. Don’t drown.

Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. Monitor later forecasts, and be prepared to take action should a flash flood warnings be issued.

ThePerryNews.com will update this weather report as information becomes available.

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