2022 Winterset tornado
The Winterset EF4 tornado at peak intensity to the southwest of town. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | March 5, 2022, 4:26 p.m. CDT (UTC−06:00) |
| Dissipated | March 5, 2022, 6:00 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00) |
| Duration | 1 hour, 34 minutes |
| EF4 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 170 mph (270 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Injuries | 5 |
| Damage | $220 million (2022 USD) (Costliest tornado in 2022) |
Part of the Tornado outbreak of March 5–7, 2022 and Tornadoes of 2022 | |
In the afternoon hours of March 5, 2022, a large and violent tornado hit areas just outside of Winterset, located near Des Moines in the state of Iowa. The tornado leveled or swept away multiple homes, and received an EF4 rating as a result. The tornado was the most powerful to touch down during the tornado outbreak of March 5–7, 2022, and the costliest tornado of 2022, inflicting $220 million (2022 USD) worth of damages to the areas it impacted.
The tornado first touched down near Macksburg, moving northeast while rapidly strengthening. As the tornado crossed Highway 169, it reached EF4 intensity, killing six people who were living on Carver Road, located to the southwest of Winterset. The tornado would continue to produce heavy damage as it tracked towards Winterset, narrowly missing the southern edge of the town before passing near Patterson. The tornado would continue to move through rural areas, eventually causing damage in portions of Des Moines metro area before lifting.