Tornado sweeps through Sheldon on Friday afternoon

A tornado touched down at Southwest Wholesale RV and other points in Sheldon Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

The National Weather Service’s preliminary statement about the event said: “A brief tornado touched down near the Crossroads Pavilion Event Center in Sheldon, Iowa and tracked northwest for just shy of one mile before dissipating to the north of the RiseFest Festival Grounds The tornado peeled off roof panels on three different buildings and flipped multiple recreational vehicles. The tornado was rated an EF0 with maximum estimated winds of 85 mph and a width of 75 yards. No injuries or fatalities were reported.”

Stated O’Brien County Emergency Management Director Jared Johnson: “Thankfully no one was injured from this storm system. There were multiple agencies and contractors working on-site to help with the cleanup in different areas in Sheldon.  We greatly appreciate all of the assistance.”