Tornadic Storms Impacted Highway 20 Corridor & Jones County

Janelle Tucker April 14, 2026Last Updated: April 15, 2026

3 minutes read

photo of tornadic storm taken near Casey’s on southwest edge of Manchester (Kathy Wendling)

Tornadic storms moved through eastern Iowa on Tuesday evening, with reports of tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds.

The severe storms generally traveled right along the Highway 20 corridor – just as the National Weather Service had predicted – with Jones County also impacted.

The storms started developing around 4 pm in the Black Hawk/Buchanan county area before moving east. Delaware County Emergency Management Coordinator Mandy Bieber:

Law enforcement confirmed a tornado over Masonville at 5:30 pm, moving east at 30 miles per hour. A rope tornado was also photographed near Onslow in Jones County. Bieber says numerous storm reports have come in.

Local storm reports from the National Weather Service, Emergency Management and storm spotters include:

Golf-ball sized hail one mile north of Independence
Reports of rotation over Mental Health Institute in Independence
Sheet metal roofs ripped off near Walmart in Independence – possible tornado
Roof torn off barn on 245th Street south of Independence
Hail three and a half inches in diameter (larger than tennis ball size) three miles north of Independence
Brief tornado south of Winthrop
Barn lost south of Winthrop on 230th Street with debris path
Tornado on ground west of Masonville (half-mile wide and rain-wrapped)
Citizen report of a tornado on Candle Road/220th Street southeast of Masonville
Possible tornado touchdown on 110th Avenue southeast of Masonville – damage to house and barn
Funnel cloud two miles west/northwest of Strawberry Point
All departments along Highway 20 reported 70+mph winds
Power lines down in Delaware County
Marble-sized hail in Manchester
Nearly two inches of rain (1.94”) one mile north of Manchester along Highway 13
Grain bin down on 150th Avenue Manchester
Machine shed down 245th Street Delhi
Significant damage to farm buildings and wooden stakes impaled into the ground in the Delhi area
Trees down and flagpoles folded in half in Delhi area – Chief believed it to be straight-line winds
Dime to quarter-sized hail north of Hopkinton
Funnel cloud three to four miles south/southwest of Earlville
70 mph winds west of Dyersville
88 mph wind gust recorded at the Dubuque Regional Airport
Rotation and lowering of clouds at area of Highway 151 and Ryan Road southwest of Dubuque
Quarter-sized hail in Anamosa
Rope tornado on ground east of Highway 136 near Onslow
Ping-pong ball sized hail in Jones County on Highway 136 at E-17

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Delaware County on Tuesday night until 2:15 am.

The severe weather threat continues Wednesday and again on Friday.

Bieber says the National Weather Service will be assessing the damage in the Delaware County area either Wednesday or Thursday.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photo gallery from Tuesday’s storms below. You can find more on our KMCH Facebook page – feel free to submit yours there in the comments. Thanks to everyone who shared their photos and reports!

Onslow (Keaton Oberbreckling)