My First Tornado

Debris from farmland churns under the funnel of an EF3 tornado seen about ten minutes after its formation in western Iowa around 7:25 PM, Saturday, April 9, 2011. This view looks northwest from Sumac Avenue, about 7 miles southeast of Mapleton. The town of Mapleton would bear the brunt of the twister minutes later, damaging about 60% of the town. This was my first confirmed tornado ever witnessed and was the first of six or more seen on this day's storm chase, which began with a departure from Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa about 8 hours earlier.