The area was placed under a tornado warning at around 8 p.m. Thursday evening. While no injuries have been reported, numerous trees were uprooted along U.S. 52, between Holy Cross and Rickardsville. Meanwhile, several area farms reportedly received damage as a result of strong wind gusts.
Flooding conditions caused U.S. 52, between Rickardsville and Dubuque to be closed for much of Friday.
Buildings at Schmitt Implement, of Holy Cross, received substantial damage as a result of the storm. The roof of one of the buildings was torn off, as well as doors on the structures. Willis Schmitt, the owner of the business, said damage occurred between 8 and 8:30 p.m., damaging inventory in its wake.
Schmitt, who lives across the highway from the business, also had damage at his home. He reported three trees and a flagpole were damaged, with one of the trees falling on the house.
"When the tree hit (the) house, it was a bomb going off," Schmitt recalled.
"As long as nobody got hurt. That's the important thing. You can always fix the damage, but you can't replace life."
In 48 years of living at her Jefferson Street NW home in New Vienna, Delores Neuhaus said the water has never been so high as it was Friday morning.
Neuhaus, who lives with her son Mike, reported 30 inches of water in her garage as well as in the home's basement. The Neuhauses live near the community's baseball field and tractor pull site, where Coffee Creek and the north fork of the Maquoketa River intercept.
"This is higher than it had been in 2002 or 2008, or any time," noted Neuhaus, as her daughter Amy cleared debris from the property.
The Neuhauses had the misfortune of joining many in the New Vienna community, who had water invade their properties.