A home on county road E64 two and half miles south of Tama was significantly damaged during a tornado that struck Tama County on the evening of March 5. The home was reportedly occupied but with the help of area first responders, the individuals inside were able to be evacuated safely. No injuries were reported as a result from Saturday's Tama County tornado, however six people in Madison County and one person in Lucas County have died as a result of tornados produced by the same storm system. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

A category EF-2 tornado reached the ground in southern Tama County during the evening of March 5.

The tornado is believed to have touched down shortly after 6:40 p.m. Saturday in Columbia Township south of Tama.

No injuries were reported however two homes in the area sustained significant damage, one losing it’s roof and having several vehicles overturned.

According to National Weather Service reports, the path of the tornado began two miles west of U.S. Highway 63 on 370th Street. From there it’s believed to have taken a diagonal trajectory northeast across Highway 63, ending up on county road E64 about a mile and a half east of Sandhill Auto Salvage.

The EF-2 categorization indicates the tornado brought wind speeds between 111-135 mph.

Debris lies strewn across a field on county road E64 in Tama County across the road from where a residence was severely damaged by a tornado that landed south of Tama on March 5. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

A second EF-2 tornado crept it’s way across the southwestern border of Tama County just prior to the one closer to Tama.

The earlier tornado made landfall near Kellogg in Jasper County and traveled northeast past Newburg before ending up near Gilman just across the Tama County line.

Residents in Tama and Chelsea reported power outages Saturday that lasted well into the night.

The severe storm system traveled across Iowa from the southwest corner of the state, causing the most damage in Winterset in Madison County where six people died.

A seventh person was also reported dead in Lucas County near Chariton while several more in both Madison and Lucas counties were injured.

The roof of a single-family home in rural Tama was blown off during a tornado that swept through Columbia Township south of Tama Saturday evening. The residence is believed to have been occupied during the storm, though no injuries were reported. -- Photo by Darvin Graham

The storm system was the most deadly to hit the state in over a decade, dating back to the 2008 Parkersburg tornado.

Saturday’s tornado marked the second tornado Tama County has seen in the past nine months after a category EF-1 tornado swept through the southern city limits of Dysart on July 14.

Disaster proclamation

On Monday Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a disaster proclamation for Tama County as well eight others including Adair, Benton, Decatur, Jasper, Lucas, Polk, Warren, and Wayne counties. A similar proclamation was issued earlier for Madison County.

The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of the severe weather.

In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. 

Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.