The Hawkseye 

Tornado Continued...

Two members of the Harmony Hawks were in Iowa City that evening when the tornado hit. Dave Haase, Hawkseye Editor, was attending Holy Thursday mass at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church. 

"Just before offertory an usher came up to our pastor, Father Michael Phillips, and told him about the tornado warning." said Haase. Phillips informed the congregation about the warning and told them he would continue with the mass. He did, however, invite them to take shelter in the Parish Hall in the basement of the church. No one got up to go downstairs.

"It has been nearly 50 years since a tornado had touched down in the Iowa City city limits so I think everyone was a little complacent about taking shelter," said Haase. "Had we known it was on the ground in Iowa City city limits everyone would have taken cover."

Around 8:30 p.m. the lights in the church started to flicker and finally went black. The emergency lighting that kicked on and the lit candles on the altar provided some light.

"It was an eerie feeling. Everyone knew that something serious had just happened," said Haase. "You could hear the hail coming down and the wind blowing hard outside."

Minutes later it was announced that St. Patrick's Catholic Church, located approximately 8 blocks SW of  St. Wenceslaus Church, was hit by the tornado and was a total loss. Luckily, mass had ended at St. Patrick's about 15 minutes earlier. 75 members of the parish had been praying in the church just minutes before the tornado struck. One of the deacons of the parish went over to the church and asked everyone to take shelter in the basement of the rectory next door. Just as they made it to the basement the tornado struck.

At the end of the mass at St. Wenceslaus Church it was announced that another tornado had touched down south of town. This time the people took cover downstairs in the Parish Hall.