‘This made the derecho look like child’s play’; Cedar Rapids mobile home hit by tornado

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - One Cedar Rapids neighborhood is cleaning up after the storms Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service said a brief EF-0 tornado producing winds of around 85 mph hit the area. The damage happened at about 8:30 p.m. inside the Summit View Mobile Home Park, just west of Wilson Avenue at Wiley Boulevard in southwest Cedar Rapids.

Preliminary survey results indicate a brief EF-0 tornado with maximum winds around 85 MPH impacting a few manufactured homes on the southwest Cedar Rapids with 1 minor injury.
— NWS Quad Cities (@NWSQuadCities) April 8, 2021

Witnesses said the storm damaged several homes, including one that had a portion of its roof blown off. Windows in one home were blown out, including one in the room where a child had been in bed.

One of the homeowners said the experience reminded them of last year’s derecho.

“This made the derecho look like child’s play,” Devin Whitman said. “It was weak. The derecho was weak compared to this. Whatever this was, you know?”

Members of the National Weather Service surveyed the damage Thursday morning.

“One home sustained significant roof damage, with additional siding damage to nearby homes,” the NWS said in a report on Thursday. “One person sustained minor injuries from glass after their bedroom window blew in. The tornado lofted debris into a nearby field.”

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