(Sibley)– Severe thunderstorms tore through portions of the region Wednesday afternoon, causing significant damage in areas just to the west of the Iowa Great Lakes. The storms packed 70 mile per hour wind as they slammed through Osceola county, with extensive tree and structural damage reported in the Sibley and Ashton areas. At least one semi was reportedly overturned and hundreds lost power as the strong winds toppled power poles. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The storms weakened somewhat as they moved through the Iowa Great Lakes but quickly intensified once again as they moved into eastern Emmet and western Kossuth county. There were reports of hail to the size of ping pong balls in the Fenton area.
Additional showers and thunderstorms, with the possibility of some severe weather and locally heavy rain, remain possible through the next several days.
