Photo Courtesy of Iowa State University MesoNet

The KCII Severe Weather action team took the air for the first time in 2026 for a pair of warnings Tuesday in Southeast Iowa. Just before 7p.m. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued until 7:45p.m. For portions of Washington, Johnson, Muscatine and Cedar counties. Minutes later a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for portions of Washington, Henry and Jefferson Counties until 8p.m.

Storm spotters reported tennis ball sized hail at the Iowa City Municipal Airport with ping pong ball sized hail also reported in rural Johnson County and inch in diameter hail measured in Wayland and Fairfield. Baseball sized hail was radar-indicated in portions of Henry and Louisa Counties near Winfield and Wapello. The city of Washington, Wayland, Columbus Junction and Wapello each received a quarter inch of rainfall with the wave of storms before 8p.m. Four members of the KCII Severe Weather Action Team responded to bring live coverage. Had the power gone out, emergency backup generators would have kept coverage on the air. The one to count on for up-to-the-minute severe weather coverage is KCII.