Graettinger, IA — On April 13th, 2026, a very strong and dangerous tornado ripped through far northeastern Palo Alto County near rural Graettinger, eventually ending in southern Emmet County. The National Weather Service in Des Moines has the details.

The National Weather Service has officially upgraded the tornado to an EF2 with peak winds of 120 mph and later explained why the upgrade came days after the event.

The EF2 tornado began at 6:47 p.m. and ended in southern Emmet County at 6:55 p.m. The tornado was on the ground for 8 minutes and traveled 4.7 miles. The last tornado prior to Mondays near Graettinger occurred on December 15, 2021, and was rated EF1.