Heavy rain, nickel-sized hail and near-hurricane force winds accompanied the strong thunderstorm system that rumbled over parts of Iowa early this morning. Bill Scott, at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says the Des Moines area — Polk and Jasper counties — got the most rain.Des Moines and Newton each had one-and-29-hundreds of an inch of rain. He says rainfall totals ranged from more than an inch in many parts of central and southern Iowa to -no- rain in other areas. Scott says this drenching is a blessing to some Iowans who’ve been watching their lawns and crops dry up.Scott says this series of thunderstorms was “no drought buster” but it will help out some Iowans.Wind gusts were reported at 65 miles an hour in the Jasper County town of Kellogg this morning, and a gust hit 67 in Algona. Several trees were toppled in Grinnell. Grinnell College spokesman Dann Hayes says two buildings were damaged by falling trees. He says they’re still trying to assess the damage.Hayes says one student suffered a minor injury from a broken window.The student suffered a cut on her leg that required only a band-aid. The forecast calls for a good chance of showers tonight across central and eastern Iowa, with rain likely in those areas tomorrow. There’s also a chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday and Friday.
