National Weather Service confirms tornadoes in local counties

Multiple tornadoes touched down in area Iowa counties last week, forecasters confirmed Monday. Tornadoes passed through Bernard and La Motte late Friday afternoon as storms brought flash flooding and wind damage to the state, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Friedlein said. A pair of tornadoes also passed through northern Jones County. The tornado in Bernard was an EF1 with peak wind speeds of 95 miles per hour. Friedlein said it damaged trees and a county road maintenance shed. Northern Jackson County near La Motte saw an EF2 tornado with 120 mph peak winds. It damaged several agriculture industry buildings, Friedlein said. Sheet metal and insulation were thrown around, and a metal power pole and wooden utility poles were damaged. In northern Jones County, the two tornadoes caused significant tree damage and some roof damage.