Coalville, IA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Coalville is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Coalville is higher than Iowa average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #492
| Coalville, IA | 0.00 |
| Iowa | 0.00 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Coalville, IA | 0.0000 |
| Iowa | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #191
| Coalville, IA | 267.24 |
| Iowa | 236.74 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 3,682 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Coalville, IA were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 23 | Cold: | 26 | Dense Fog: | 6 | Drought: | 15 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 452 | Hail: | 1,272 | Heat: | 5 | Heavy Snow: | 49 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 28 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 61 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,402 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 52 | Winter Weather: | 30 |
| Other: | 261 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Coalville, IA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Coalville, IA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Coalville, IA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 101 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Coalville, IA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.3 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 42°18'N / 94°18'W | 42°28'N / 94°00'W | 18.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Webster |
| 5.5 | 1977-05-04 | 2 | 42°28'N / 94°13'W | 1.00 Mile | 70 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Webster | |
| 6.0 | 1960-06-16 | 2 | 42°30'N / 94°12'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Webster | |
| 6.3 | 1967-06-08 | 4 | 42°31'N / 94°11'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Webster | |
| 6.7 | 1977-05-04 | 4 | 42°32'N / 94°09'W | 2.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 14 | 250K | 0 | Webster | |
| 8.1 | 1967-06-08 | 2 | 42°22'N / 94°23'W | 42°30'N / 94°10'W | 14.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Webster |
| 8.7 | 1964-08-29 | 2 | 42°33'N / 94°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Webster | |
| 8.9 | 1973-09-21 | 3 | 42°32'N / 94°14'W | 42°34'N / 94°11'W | 2.30 Miles | 143 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Webster |
| 14.0 | 2005-11-12 | 3 | 42°16'N / 93°56'W | 42°21'N / 93°53'W | 5.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 3 | 11.7M | 0 | Hamilton |
| Brief Description: Tornado moved from Webster County in to Hamilton County. One woman was killed when her house collapsed. F82PH A very intense weather system developed over the central U.S. during the day on the 12th. A strong upper level system moved through the area with mid and upper level winds in the 70 to 90 kt range. Low level winds of 35 to 50 kts transported moisture north into the system. High temperatures reached the mid 60s to low 70s, with dew point readings approaching 60 by late afternoon. A surface low developed over northern Kansas during the previous night and lifted northeast into eastern South Dakota during the afternoon of the 12th, then into central Minnesota as a 985 mb low by late evening. The atmosphere became quite unstable with CAPE values reaching 1000 J/kg by late afternoon. The Lifted Index values were in the -5 C. range. Being as it was in November, the freezing level was quite low during the event, in the 10,000 to 11,000 foot range. Though the soundings were quite unidirectional, there was plenty of shear with zero to 6 km shear values around 65 kts. Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon in west central in to southwest Iowa. The storms became severe quite quickly. Initially the storms produce quarter to golf ball size hail, with 2 1/2 inch diameter hail falling in Dallas County. Hail up to baseball size fell in Greene County as well. The system transitioned into a tornadic system within an hour with several tornadoes touching down in the central sections of the state. At least 9 communities were hit by tornadoes and 65 homes damaged or destroyed. An 82 year old woman was killed in Stratford when the tornado demolished her home. In a 2 or 3 block area of downtown Woodward, at least 12 houses were totally destroyed. There was one minor injury in Ames, two serious injuries in the Woodward area, and three injuries in Stratford. Due to the extensive damage to property caused by the tornadoes, Iowa Governor Vilsack declared Boone, Story, Webster, Dallas and Hamilton Counties disaster areas. A long-lived tornado tracked through several counties across central Iowa during the late afternoon hours of Nov. 12, 2005. The tornado path is estimated at 27.5 miles long and between 100 and 150 yards wide along the damage path. Tornado (1) initially touched down just west of E Avenue (just south of Boxholm in northwest Boone county), one half mile south of Boone County Highway E18 at approximately 4:27 p.m as an F1 tornado. The tornado then tracked northeast across E Avenue, hitting a farm just north of E18, damaging the home and some out buildings. It also flipped over one pickup truck and killed two horses at this location. The tornado continued northeast, spreading debris across F Avenue just north of 125th Street as it maintained F1 intensity. Two additional homes were damaged with outbuildings destroyed as the tornado tracked northeast across G and H Avenues near 105th Avenue. It then intensified to an F2 tornado as it crossed the Boone/Webster county line. Another home was heavily damaged and a large outbuilding destroyed just north of the Boone/Webster county line. The tornado quickly moved northeast, crossing 390th Street and headed toward the Des Moines River, weakening to an F1 tornado. A continuous, but weak damage path was observed crossing the river as the tornado tracked across open farmland and land adjacent the Des Moines River. The tornado has been rated an F1 tornado during this time. After crossing County D64 in Webster county, the tornado struck another farm near 370th Street and Washington Avenue, damaging the residence and destroying a machine shed along with most of its contents. The tornado again intensified to an F2 at this location. The tornado then headed toward Stratford, crossing the Webster and Hamilton county line just west of County Road D54. The tornado entered Stratford at 4:46 p.m. on the west-central end of town, heavily damaging many homes. The tornado crossed the city park and then exited the city near the north-central portion of Stratford. Numerous homes were heavily damaged with one fatality. As the tornado left Stratford, it continued on a northeast track, lifting and dropping to the ground several times as an F0 and F1 tornado. It damaged three additional farms northeast of Stratford with the last damaged farm north of 320th Street and west of County Road R21 in Hamilton County. Tornado (2) touched down one mile west of Minburn in Dallas County according to the aerial survey. The tornado tracked northeast for about eight miles, producing F0-F1 damage before intensifying near Highway 141. The tornado produced F2 damage at a farm one mile southwest of Woodward, and continued to produce F2 damage through the south and east portions of Woodward. The tornado dissipated one mile northeast of Woodward. Severe houses slid off their foundations in Woodward, and a double-wide home was flipped upside down into the street. Total path length was 11 miles. Tornado (3) touched down in open fields one mile northwest of Madrid. It hit a home three miles north of Madrid on Highway 17, producing F1 damage. One other farm site sustained damage as the tornado moved northeast. The tornado dissipated after a six mile track. Tornado (4) started just west of Ames near the Highway 30 and Lincoln Way Split, according to the aerial survey. The tornado produced F1-F2 damage on the northwest fringe of Ames. It weakened as it moved northeast, before intensifying again and produced F2 damage to a farm site just south of Gilbert. F1 damage occurred as the tornado crossed highway 69. The tornado dissipated three miles south of Story City after a 10 mile track. Tornado (5) was a short-lived satellite tornado that was on the ground for 1.6 miles ending at the southwest edge of Story City. The aerial survey showed very minor damage. Tornado (6) developed one mile west of Roland and tracked across the extreme southeast corner of Hamilton county before entering Hardin county. The tornado produced damage up to F1 intensity to rural farm sites in far northern Story county and five miles south of Radcliffe in Hardin county. The KCCI-TV aerial survey indicated the track was nine miles in length. Tornado (7) was a brief touchdown just south of Williams in Hamilton County. No damage was found from this brief tornado and it is not shown here. Tornado (8) was briefly sighted near Blakesburg in Monroe County. The tornado produced minor damage to a farm building but was not surveyed. Tornado (9) touched down briefly north of Steamboat Rock in Hardin County. The tornado caused little damage. Tornado (10) was actually the first tornado of the day. It formed from the same supercell that eventually moved northeast into the Stratford area. The tornado caused little damage as it moved through fields south of the Scranton Area. Tornado (11) was a brief touchdown on the southwest edge of the Ames City limits. This tornado was from the same parent cell as the previous tornado that touched down in Ames, but was distinct. The tornado was weak and lifted lawn chairs and caused some shingle damage. This tornado was ANTICYCLONIC in nature. | |||||||||||
| 15.1 | 1965-05-05 | 4 | 42°18'N / 94°28'W | 42°22'N / 94°17'W | 9.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 15.5 | 2005-11-12 | 2 | 42°13'N / 94°00'W | 42°16'N / 93°57'W | 6.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 450K | 0 | Webster |
| Brief Description: Tornado moved in from Boone County, then tracked into Hamilton County. A very intense weather system developed over the central U.S. during the day on the 12th. A strong upper level system moved through the area with mid and upper level winds in the 70 to 90 kt range. Low level winds of 35 to 50 kts transported moisture north into the system. High temperatures reached the mid 60s to low 70s, with dew point readings approaching 60 by late afternoon. A surface low developed over northern Kansas during the previous night and lifted northeast into eastern South Dakota during the afternoon of the 12th, then into central Minnesota as a 985 mb low by late evening. The atmosphere became quite unstable with CAPE values reaching 1000 J/kg by late afternoon. The Lifted Index values were in the -5 C. range. Being as it was in November, the freezing level was quite low during the event, in the 10,000 to 11,000 foot range. Though the soundings were quite unidirectional, there was plenty of shear with zero to 6 km shear values around 65 kts. Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon in west central in to southwest Iowa. The storms became severe quite quickly. Initially the storms produce quarter to golf ball size hail, with 2 1/2 inch diameter hail falling in Dallas County. Hail up to baseball size fell in Greene County as well. The system transitioned into a tornadic system within an hour with several tornadoes touching down in the central sections of the state. At least 9 communities were hit by tornadoes and 65 homes damaged or destroyed. An 82 year old woman was killed in Stratford when the tornado demolished her home. In a 2 or 3 block area of downtown Woodward, at least 12 houses were totally destroyed. There was one minor injury in Ames, two serious injuries in the Woodward area, and three injuries in Stratford. Due to the extensive damage to property caused by the tornadoes, Iowa Governor Vilsack declared Boone, Story, Webster, Dallas and Hamilton Counties disaster areas. A long-lived tornado tracked through several counties across central Iowa during the late afternoon hours of Nov. 12, 2005. The tornado path is estimated at 27.5 miles long and between 100 and 150 yards wide along the damage path. Tornado (1) initially touched down just west of E Avenue (just south of Boxholm in northwest Boone county), one half mile south of Boone County Highway E18 at approximately 4:27 p.m as an F1 tornado. The tornado then tracked northeast across E Avenue, hitting a farm just north of E18, damaging the home and some out buildings. It also flipped over one pickup truck and killed two horses at this location. The tornado continued northeast, spreading debris across F Avenue just north of 125th Street as it maintained F1 intensity. Two additional homes were damaged with outbuildings destroyed as the tornado tracked northeast across G and H Avenues near 105th Avenue. It then intensified to an F2 tornado as it crossed the Boone/Webster county line. Another home was heavily damaged and a large outbuilding destroyed just north of the Boone/Webster county line. The tornado quickly moved northeast, crossing 390th Street and headed toward the Des Moines River, weakening to an F1 tornado. A continuous, but weak damage path was observed crossing the river as the tornado tracked across open farmland and land adjacent the Des Moines River. The tornado has been rated an F1 tornado during this time. After crossing County D64 in Webster county, the tornado struck another farm near 370th Street and Washington Avenue, damaging the residence and destroying a machine shed along with most of its contents. The tornado again intensified to an F2 at this location. The tornado then headed toward Stratford, crossing the Webster and Hamilton county line just west of County Road D54. The tornado entered Stratford at 4:46 p.m. on the west-central end of town, heavily damaging many homes. The tornado crossed the city park and then exited the city near the north-central portion of Stratford. Numerous homes were heavily damaged with one fatality. As the tornado left Stratford, it continued on a northeast track, lifting and dropping to the ground several times as an F0 and F1 tornado. It damaged three additional farms northeast of Stratford with the last damaged farm north of 320th Street and west of County Road R21 in Hamilton County. Tornado (2) touched down one mile west of Minburn in Dallas County according to the aerial survey. The tornado tracked northeast for about eight miles, producing F0-F1 damage before intensifying near Highway 141. The tornado produced F2 damage at a farm one mile southwest of Woodward, and continued to produce F2 damage through the south and east portions of Woodward. The tornado dissipated one mile northeast of Woodward. Severe houses slid off their foundations in Woodward, and a double-wide home was flipped upside down into the street. Total path length was 11 miles. Tornado (3) touched down in open fields one mile northwest of Madrid. It hit a home three miles north of Madrid on Highway 17, producing F1 damage. One other farm site sustained damage as the tornado moved northeast. The tornado dissipated after a six mile track. Tornado (4) started just west of Ames near the Highway 30 and Lincoln Way Split, according to the aerial survey. The tornado produced F1-F2 damage on the northwest fringe of Ames. It weakened as it moved northeast, before intensifying again and produced F2 damage to a farm site just south of Gilbert. F1 damage occurred as the tornado crossed highway 69. The tornado dissipated three miles south of Story City after a 10 mile track. Tornado (5) was a short-lived satellite tornado that was on the ground for 1.6 miles ending at the southwest edge of Story City. The aerial survey showed very minor damage. Tornado (6) developed one mile west of Roland and tracked across the extreme southeast corner of Hamilton county before entering Hardin county. The tornado produced damage up to F1 intensity to rural farm sites in far northern Story county and five miles south of Radcliffe in Hardin county. The KCCI-TV aerial survey indicated the track was nine miles in length. Tornado (7) was a brief touchdown just south of Williams in Hamilton County. No damage was found from this brief tornado and it is not shown here. Tornado (8) was briefly sighted near Blakesburg in Monroe County. The tornado produced minor damage to a farm building but was not surveyed. Tornado (9) touched down briefly north of Steamboat Rock in Hardin County. The tornado caused little damage. Tornado (10) was actually the first tornado of the day. It formed from the same supercell that eventually moved northeast into the Stratford area. The tornado caused little damage as it moved through fields south of the Scranton Area. Tornado (11) was a brief touchdown on the southwest edge of the Ames City limits. This tornado was from the same parent cell as the previous tornado that touched down in Ames, but was distinct. The tornado was weak and lifted lawn chairs and caused some shingle damage. This tornado was ANTICYCLONIC in nature. | |||||||||||
| 15.5 | 1967-04-30 | 2 | 42°36'N / 94°02'W | 42°42'N / 93°59'W | 6.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Webster |
| 17.7 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 42°18'N / 93°53'W | 42°18'N / 93°46'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hamilton |
| 17.9 | 1979-06-28 | 2 | 42°31'N / 93°48'W | 42°25'N / 93°44'W | 7.20 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Hamilton |
| 19.6 | 1979-06-28 | 2 | 42°25'N / 93°44'W | 1.00 Mile | 177 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hamilton | |
| 19.9 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 42°28'N / 94°00'W | 42°52'N / 93°45'W | 30.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Webster |
| 20.5 | 1990-03-13 | 2 | 42°02'N / 94°02'W | 42°18'N / 93°53'W | 16.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Boone |
| 20.5 | 1979-06-28 | 4 | 42°34'N / 94°35'W | 42°27'N / 94°26'W | 10.80 Miles | 333 Yards | 3 | 26 | 25.0M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 22.5 | 1991-05-17 | 2 | 42°29'N / 93°42'W | 42°35'N / 93°41'W | 6.50 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hamilton |
| 22.6 | 1990-06-19 | 2 | 42°34'N / 94°32'W | 42°32'N / 94°32'W | 2.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 23.8 | 1965-05-15 | 2 | 42°47'N / 94°10'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Humboldt | |
| 25.1 | 1964-04-26 | 2 | 42°36'N / 93°44'W | 42°39'N / 93°39'W | 4.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wright |
| 25.6 | 1953-06-07 | 3 | 42°33'N / 94°42'W | 42°51'N / 94°15'W | 30.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 25.8 | 1991-05-17 | 2 | 42°35'N / 93°41'W | 42°37'N / 93°38'W | 2.50 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wright |
| 25.8 | 1965-05-15 | 2 | 42°23'N / 94°37'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 25.9 | 1964-05-07 | 2 | 42°06'N / 93°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |||
| 26.6 | 1964-07-07 | 2 | 42°10'N / 93°45'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |
| 26.6 | 1979-06-28 | 4 | 42°38'N / 94°36'W | 42°34'N / 94°35'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Pocahontas |
| 26.6 | 1974-06-22 | 2 | 42°18'N / 93°39'W | 42°19'N / 93°36'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hamilton | ||
| 27.1 | 1990-06-19 | 2 | 42°48'N / 94°32'W | 42°34'N / 94°32'W | 14.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pocahontas |
| 27.4 | 1962-05-07 | 2 | 42°04'N / 93°54'W | 42°07'N / 93°49'W | 4.90 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Boone |
| 27.6 | 1981-06-12 | 2 | 42°50'N / 94°13'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Humboldt | |||
| 27.7 | 1966-06-11 | 2 | 42°05'N / 93°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |
| 27.8 | 1954-06-09 | 4 | 42°17'N / 94°43'W | 42°23'N / 94°34'W | 9.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 28.1 | 2004-05-21 | 2 | 42°48'N / 94°26'W | 42°48'N / 94°19'W | 7.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 15 | 2.5M | 10K | Humboldt |
| Brief Description: Tornado intensified as it approached Bradgate. Seventy five percent of the town was damaged or destroyed by the tornado which was one half mile wide as it moved through. A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development. By the late afternoon, lifted indices were approaching -10 C. with CAPE values around 5000 J/kg over western Iowa. Surface temperatures warmed into the upper 80s with dew points in the low to mid 70s. A southwest surface wind of 15 to 25 kts pushed over the front. Northeast of the frontal boundary winds were easterly around 10 to 15 kts. Actually, the surface boundary was further enhanced by outflow from convective complexes during the day, further sharpening the contrast. Thunderstorms continued to fire along and north of the boundary through the afternoon and into the evening. This resulted in widespread flash flooding as very heavy rains fell on areas that had had significant rainfall the previous night. There were reports in north central into northeast Iowa of 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in a little more than an hours time. Major flooding took place in the Mason City area where evacuations were taking place. The thunderstorms became most intense during the afternoon into the early evening. There were several tornadoes across northeast into north central Iowa. Most were relatively brief touchdowns and were in open areas. Reports of multi-vortex tornadoes were received from Grundy County. The days most significant tornado touched down in Pocahontas County east of Rolfe and tracked into Humboldt County through the Bradgate area. The tornado damaged or destroyed over 75% of the town of Bradgate (pop 120). Tornado damage in Bradgate was very extensive impacting most of the town. Hardly a building was not impacted. Outbuildings, light structures and garages were heavily damaged or destroyed. Two homes were destroyed. Several homes were damaged ranging from minor to extensive. The Survey Team found that the majority of the damage was F1, with a few cases of F2 damage. The F2 damage was to the snapping of very large trees just west of town and the structural damage to two buildings. Nearly all of the 53 homes there reported damage with several totally destroyed. Significant widespread property damage was reported in the tornadoes path. There were several injuries in the town, the most significant being a broken leg. A police officer was reportedly hit by debris from the tornado and suffered a broken leg. According to law officials, the damage path of the tornado was 2 miles wide and about 8 miles long. Storm chasers on the scene reported the tornado itself to be one half mile wide at one point. Reports of hail were numerous through the afternoon and evening. Most of the hail was in the three quarter inch to one inch diameter range. There were a few reports of golf ball size hail from the stronger storms. Winds were not a major problem with the activity. There were spotty reports of winds to around 60 MPH, but most reports were in the 40 to 50 MPH range. One of the stronger wind reports was a 64 MPH wind gust in Tripoli in Bremer County. This gust was measured by a mesonet station there. During the mid evening hours, thunderstorms rumbled across Grundy County. Lightning struck the Sheriff's office there and destroyed a significant amount of office equipment. Damage was reported around $100,000. | |||||||||||
| 28.2 | 1986-07-28 | 2 | 42°33'N / 94°41'W | 42°33'N / 94°37'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 28.3 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°50'N / 94°07'W | 42°52'N / 94°04'W | 7.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Humboldt |
| 28.4 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°04'N / 93°53'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |||
| 29.4 | 1989-05-24 | 4 | 42°14'N / 93°49'W | 42°11'N / 93°27'W | 19.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Hamilton |
| 30.2 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°52'N / 94°04'W | 42°53'N / 94°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Kossuth |
| 30.5 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 41°58'N / 94°06'W | 42°02'N / 94°02'W | 7.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Boone |
| 30.5 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 42°49'N / 93°48'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wright | |
| 31.1 | 1976-06-13 | 2 | 42°02'N / 93°48'W | 42°06'N / 93°45'W | 4.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Boone |
| 31.5 | 1976-06-13 | 5 | 42°06'N / 93°42'W | 42°11'N / 93°36'W | 7.30 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Story |
| 31.5 | 2004-05-21 | 2 | 42°49'N / 94°31'W | 42°49'N / 94°25'W | 5.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 5K | Pocahontas |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down in open areas east of Rolfe. It did some damage but didn't do significant damage before crossing into Humboldt County. A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development. By the late afternoon, lifted indices were approaching -10 C. with CAPE values around 5000 J/kg over western Iowa. Surface temperatures warmed into the upper 80s with dew points in the low to mid 70s. A southwest surface wind of 15 to 25 kts pushed over the front. Northeast of the frontal boundary winds were easterly around 10 to 15 kts. Actually, the surface boundary was further enhanced by outflow from convective complexes during the day, further sharpening the contrast. Thunderstorms continued to fire along and north of the boundary through the afternoon and into the evening. This resulted in widespread flash flooding as very heavy rains fell on areas that had had significant rainfall the previous night. There were reports in north central into northeast Iowa of 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in a little more than an hours time. Major flooding took place in the Mason City area where evacuations were taking place. The thunderstorms became most intense during the afternoon into the early evening. There were several tornadoes across northeast into north central Iowa. Most were relatively brief touchdowns and were in open areas. Reports of multi-vortex tornadoes were received from Grundy County. The days most significant tornado touched down in Pocahontas County east of Rolfe and tracked into Humboldt County through the Bradgate area. The tornado damaged or destroyed over 75% of the town of Bradgate (pop 120). Tornado damage in Bradgate was very extensive impacting most of the town. Hardly a building was not impacted. Outbuildings, light structures and garages were heavily damaged or destroyed. Two homes were destroyed. Several homes were damaged ranging from minor to extensive. The Survey Team found that the majority of the damage was F1, with a few cases of F2 damage. The F2 damage was to the snapping of very large trees just west of town and the structural damage to two buildings. Nearly all of the 53 homes there reported damage with several totally destroyed. Significant widespread property damage was reported in the tornadoes path. There were several injuries in the town, the most significant being a broken leg. A police officer was reportedly hit by debris from the tornado and suffered a broken leg. According to law officials, the damage path of the tornado was 2 miles wide and about 8 miles long. Storm chasers on the scene reported the tornado itself to be one half mile wide at one point. Reports of hail were numerous through the afternoon and evening. Most of the hail was in the three quarter inch to one inch diameter range. There were a few reports of golf ball size hail from the stronger storms. Winds were not a major problem with the activity. There were spotty reports of winds to around 60 MPH, but most reports were in the 40 to 50 MPH range. One of the stronger wind reports was a 64 MPH wind gust in Tripoli in Bremer County. This gust was measured by a mesonet station there. During the mid evening hours, thunderstorms rumbled across Grundy County. Lightning struck the Sheriff's office there and destroyed a significant amount of office equipment. Damage was reported around $100,000. | |||||||||||
| 31.7 | 1959-05-04 | 2 | 41°54'N / 94°20'W | 42°06'N / 94°15'W | 14.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greene |
| 32.0 | 1976-06-13 | 3 | 42°05'N / 93°44'W | 42°05'N / 93°42'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | ||
| 32.4 | 1954-04-05 | 2 | 42°02'N / 94°32'W | 42°06'N / 94°28'W | 5.10 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
| 33.2 | 1976-06-13 | 2 | 42°07'N / 93°39'W | 42°08'N / 93°36'W | 1.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Story |
| 33.6 | 1980-09-20 | 2 | 42°55'N / 94°07'W | 42°56'N / 94°00'W | 5.20 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Kossuth |
| 33.8 | 1976-06-13 | 5 | 41°56'N / 93°52'W | 42°06'N / 93°42'W | 14.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 9 | 25.0M | 0 | Boone |
| 34.5 | 1965-09-16 | 2 | 42°07'N / 93°36'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Story | |
| 34.8 | 1953-05-20 | 3 | 42°09'N / 93°42'W | 42°18'N / 93°18'W | 22.70 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Story |
| 35.1 | 2005-11-12 | 2 | 42°03'N / 93°38'W | 42°08'N / 93°36'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Story |
| Brief Description: Tornado moved from Boone County into Story County. One minor injury occurred on the west side of Ames. A very intense weather system developed over the central U.S. during the day on the 12th. A strong upper level system moved through the area with mid and upper level winds in the 70 to 90 kt range. Low level winds of 35 to 50 kts transported moisture north into the system. High temperatures reached the mid 60s to low 70s, with dew point readings approaching 60 by late afternoon. A surface low developed over northern Kansas during the previous night and lifted northeast into eastern South Dakota during the afternoon of the 12th, then into central Minnesota as a 985 mb low by late evening. The atmosphere became quite unstable with CAPE values reaching 1000 J/kg by late afternoon. The Lifted Index values were in the -5 C. range. Being as it was in November, the freezing level was quite low during the event, in the 10,000 to 11,000 foot range. Though the soundings were quite unidirectional, there was plenty of shear with zero to 6 km shear values around 65 kts. Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon in west central in to southwest Iowa. The storms became severe quite quickly. Initially the storms produce quarter to golf ball size hail, with 2 1/2 inch diameter hail falling in Dallas County. Hail up to baseball size fell in Greene County as well. The system transitioned into a tornadic system within an hour with several tornadoes touching down in the central sections of the state. At least 9 communities were hit by tornadoes and 65 homes damaged or destroyed. An 82 year old woman was killed in Stratford when the tornado demolished her home. In a 2 or 3 block area of downtown Woodward, at least 12 houses were totally destroyed. There was one minor injury in Ames, two serious injuries in the Woodward area, and three injuries in Stratford. Due to the extensive damage to property caused by the tornadoes, Iowa Governor Vilsack declared Boone, Story, Webster, Dallas and Hamilton Counties disaster areas. A long-lived tornado tracked through several counties across central Iowa during the late afternoon hours of Nov. 12, 2005. The tornado path is estimated at 27.5 miles long and between 100 and 150 yards wide along the damage path. Tornado (1) initially touched down just west of E Avenue (just south of Boxholm in northwest Boone county), one half mile south of Boone County Highway E18 at approximately 4:27 p.m as an F1 tornado. The tornado then tracked northeast across E Avenue, hitting a farm just north of E18, damaging the home and some out buildings. It also flipped over one pickup truck and killed two horses at this location. The tornado continued northeast, spreading debris across F Avenue just north of 125th Street as it maintained F1 intensity. Two additional homes were damaged with outbuildings destroyed as the tornado tracked northeast across G and H Avenues near 105th Avenue. It then intensified to an F2 tornado as it crossed the Boone/Webster county line. Another home was heavily damaged and a large outbuilding destroyed just north of the Boone/Webster county line. The tornado quickly moved northeast, crossing 390th Street and headed toward the Des Moines River, weakening to an F1 tornado. A continuous, but weak damage path was observed crossing the river as the tornado tracked across open farmland and land adjacent the Des Moines River. The tornado has been rated an F1 tornado during this time. After crossing County D64 in Webster county, the tornado struck another farm near 370th Street and Washington Avenue, damaging the residence and destroying a machine shed along with most of its contents. The tornado again intensified to an F2 at this location. The tornado then headed toward Stratford, crossing the Webster and Hamilton county line just west of County Road D54. The tornado entered Stratford at 4:46 p.m. on the west-central end of town, heavily damaging many homes. The tornado crossed the city park and then exited the city near the north-central portion of Stratford. Numerous homes were heavily damaged with one fatality. As the tornado left Stratford, it continued on a northeast track, lifting and dropping to the ground several times as an F0 and F1 tornado. It damaged three additional farms northeast of Stratford with the last damaged farm north of 320th Street and west of County Road R21 in Hamilton County. Tornado (2) touched down one mile west of Minburn in Dallas County according to the aerial survey. The tornado tracked northeast for about eight miles, producing F0-F1 damage before intensifying near Highway 141. The tornado produced F2 damage at a farm one mile southwest of Woodward, and continued to produce F2 damage through the south and east portions of Woodward. The tornado dissipated one mile northeast of Woodward. Severe houses slid off their foundations in Woodward, and a double-wide home was flipped upside down into the street. Total path length was 11 miles. Tornado (3) touched down in open fields one mile northwest of Madrid. It hit a home three miles north of Madrid on Highway 17, producing F1 damage. One other farm site sustained damage as the tornado moved northeast. The tornado dissipated after a six mile track. Tornado (4) started just west of Ames near the Highway 30 and Lincoln Way Split, according to the aerial survey. The tornado produced F1-F2 damage on the northwest fringe of Ames. It weakened as it moved northeast, before intensifying again and produced F2 damage to a farm site just south of Gilbert. F1 damage occurred as the tornado crossed highway 69. The tornado dissipated three miles south of Story City after a 10 mile track. Tornado (5) was a short-lived satellite tornado that was on the ground for 1.6 miles ending at the southwest edge of Story City. The aerial survey showed very minor damage. Tornado (6) developed one mile west of Roland and tracked across the extreme southeast corner of Hamilton county before entering Hardin county. The tornado produced damage up to F1 intensity to rural farm sites in far northern Story county and five miles south of Radcliffe in Hardin county. The KCCI-TV aerial survey indicated the track was nine miles in length. Tornado (7) was a brief touchdown just south of Williams in Hamilton County. No damage was found from this brief tornado and it is not shown here. Tornado (8) was briefly sighted near Blakesburg in Monroe County. The tornado produced minor damage to a farm building but was not surveyed. Tornado (9) touched down briefly north of Steamboat Rock in Hardin County. The tornado caused little damage. Tornado (10) was actually the first tornado of the day. It formed from the same supercell that eventually moved northeast into the Stratford area. The tornado caused little damage as it moved through fields south of the Scranton Area. Tornado (11) was a brief touchdown on the southwest edge of the Ames City limits. This tornado was from the same parent cell as the previous tornado that touched down in Ames, but was distinct. The tornado was weak and lifted lawn chairs and caused some shingle damage. This tornado was ANTICYCLONIC in nature. | |||||||||||
| 35.5 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°53'N / 94°03'W | 43°00'N / 93°52'W | 14.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hancock |
| 36.3 | 1976-06-13 | 3 | 41°51'N / 94°04'W | 41°59'N / 94°01'W | 9.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Boone |
| 37.1 | 1967-06-07 | 2 | 42°03'N / 93°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Story | |
| 37.3 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 42°33'N / 94°50'W | 42°39'N / 94°48'W | 7.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pocahontas |
| 37.4 | 1970-07-14 | 2 | 42°19'N / 93°26'W | 42°17'N / 93°23'W | 1.30 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hardin |
| 37.7 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 42°28'N / 94°52'W | 42°33'N / 94°50'W | 5.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 38.5 | 1980-09-20 | 2 | 42°56'N / 94°00'W | 42°58'N / 93°37'W | 19.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hancock |
| 38.6 | 1995-05-27 | 4 | 41°47'N / 94°39'W | 42°12'N / 94°29'W | 30.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.0M | 22K | Guthrie, Greene And Carroll |
| 38.9 | 2005-11-12 | 2 | 41°53'N / 93°58'W | 41°54'N / 93°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 750K | 0 | Boone |
| Brief Description: Tornado moved from Dallas County into Boone County. Two injuries occurred in Woodward. A very intense weather system developed over the central U.S. during the day on the 12th. A strong upper level system moved through the area with mid and upper level winds in the 70 to 90 kt range. Low level winds of 35 to 50 kts transported moisture north into the system. High temperatures reached the mid 60s to low 70s, with dew point readings approaching 60 by late afternoon. A surface low developed over northern Kansas during the previous night and lifted northeast into eastern South Dakota during the afternoon of the 12th, then into central Minnesota as a 985 mb low by late evening. The atmosphere became quite unstable with CAPE values reaching 1000 J/kg by late afternoon. The Lifted Index values were in the -5 C. range. Being as it was in November, the freezing level was quite low during the event, in the 10,000 to 11,000 foot range. Though the soundings were quite unidirectional, there was plenty of shear with zero to 6 km shear values around 65 kts. Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon in west central in to southwest Iowa. The storms became severe quite quickly. Initially the storms produce quarter to golf ball size hail, with 2 1/2 inch diameter hail falling in Dallas County. Hail up to baseball size fell in Greene County as well. The system transitioned into a tornadic system within an hour with several tornadoes touching down in the central sections of the state. At least 9 communities were hit by tornadoes and 65 homes damaged or destroyed. An 82 year old woman was killed in Stratford when the tornado demolished her home. In a 2 or 3 block area of downtown Woodward, at least 12 houses were totally destroyed. There was one minor injury in Ames, two serious injuries in the Woodward area, and three injuries in Stratford. Due to the extensive damage to property caused by the tornadoes, Iowa Governor Vilsack declared Boone, Story, Webster, Dallas and Hamilton Counties disaster areas. A long-lived tornado tracked through several counties across central Iowa during the late afternoon hours of Nov. 12, 2005. The tornado path is estimated at 27.5 miles long and between 100 and 150 yards wide along the damage path. Tornado (1) initially touched down just west of E Avenue (just south of Boxholm in northwest Boone county), one half mile south of Boone County Highway E18 at approximately 4:27 p.m as an F1 tornado. The tornado then tracked northeast across E Avenue, hitting a farm just north of E18, damaging the home and some out buildings. It also flipped over one pickup truck and killed two horses at this location. The tornado continued northeast, spreading debris across F Avenue just north of 125th Street as it maintained F1 intensity. Two additional homes were damaged with outbuildings destroyed as the tornado tracked northeast across G and H Avenues near 105th Avenue. It then intensified to an F2 tornado as it crossed the Boone/Webster county line. Another home was heavily damaged and a large outbuilding destroyed just north of the Boone/Webster county line. The tornado quickly moved northeast, crossing 390th Street and headed toward the Des Moines River, weakening to an F1 tornado. A continuous, but weak damage path was observed crossing the river as the tornado tracked across open farmland and land adjacent the Des Moines River. The tornado has been rated an F1 tornado during this time. After crossing County D64 in Webster county, the tornado struck another farm near 370th Street and Washington Avenue, damaging the residence and destroying a machine shed along with most of its contents. The tornado again intensified to an F2 at this location. The tornado then headed toward Stratford, crossing the Webster and Hamilton county line just west of County Road D54. The tornado entered Stratford at 4:46 p.m. on the west-central end of town, heavily damaging many homes. The tornado crossed the city park and then exited the city near the north-central portion of Stratford. Numerous homes were heavily damaged with one fatality. As the tornado left Stratford, it continued on a northeast track, lifting and dropping to the ground several times as an F0 and F1 tornado. It damaged three additional farms northeast of Stratford with the last damaged farm north of 320th Street and west of County Road R21 in Hamilton County. Tornado (2) touched down one mile west of Minburn in Dallas County according to the aerial survey. The tornado tracked northeast for about eight miles, producing F0-F1 damage before intensifying near Highway 141. The tornado produced F2 damage at a farm one mile southwest of Woodward, and continued to produce F2 damage through the south and east portions of Woodward. The tornado dissipated one mile northeast of Woodward. Severe houses slid off their foundations in Woodward, and a double-wide home was flipped upside down into the street. Total path length was 11 miles. Tornado (3) touched down in open fields one mile northwest of Madrid. It hit a home three miles north of Madrid on Highway 17, producing F1 damage. One other farm site sustained damage as the tornado moved northeast. The tornado dissipated after a six mile track. Tornado (4) started just west of Ames near the Highway 30 and Lincoln Way Split, according to the aerial survey. The tornado produced F1-F2 damage on the northwest fringe of Ames. It weakened as it moved northeast, before intensifying again and produced F2 damage to a farm site just south of Gilbert. F1 damage occurred as the tornado crossed highway 69. The tornado dissipated three miles south of Story City after a 10 mile track. Tornado (5) was a short-lived satellite tornado that was on the ground for 1.6 miles ending at the southwest edge of Story City. The aerial survey showed very minor damage. Tornado (6) developed one mile west of Roland and tracked across the extreme southeast corner of Hamilton county before entering Hardin county. The tornado produced damage up to F1 intensity to rural farm sites in far northern Story county and five miles south of Radcliffe in Hardin county. The KCCI-TV aerial survey indicated the track was nine miles in length. Tornado (7) was a brief touchdown just south of Williams in Hamilton County. No damage was found from this brief tornado and it is not shown here. Tornado (8) was briefly sighted near Blakesburg in Monroe County. The tornado produced minor damage to a farm building but was not surveyed. Tornado (9) touched down briefly north of Steamboat Rock in Hardin County. The tornado caused little damage. Tornado (10) was actually the first tornado of the day. It formed from the same supercell that eventually moved northeast into the Stratford area. The tornado caused little damage as it moved through fields south of the Scranton Area. Tornado (11) was a brief touchdown on the southwest edge of the Ames City limits. This tornado was from the same parent cell as the previous tornado that touched down in Ames, but was distinct. The tornado was weak and lifted lawn chairs and caused some shingle damage. This tornado was ANTICYCLONIC in nature. | |||||||||||
| 39.1 | 1995-05-27 | 4 | 42°04'N / 94°54'W | 42°35'N / 94°50'W | 37.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 43K | Carroll, Sac, Calhoun And Pocahontas |
| Brief Description: Multiple vortex at times. | |||||||||||
| 39.3 | 1966-10-14 | 5 | 42°48'N / 93°39'W | 42°55'N / 93°32'W | 9.70 Miles | 1000 Yards | 6 | 172 | 25.0M | 0 | Wright |
| 39.7 | 1984-04-26 | 2 | 42°19'N / 94°55'W | 42°28'N / 94°52'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sac |
| 39.8 | 1964-08-29 | 4 | 42°55'N / 94°14'W | 43°07'N / 94°04'W | 15.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Kossuth |
| 40.4 | 1974-06-18 | 2 | 41°57'N / 93°41'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Story | |
| 40.6 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 42°50'N / 94°42'W | 43°00'N / 94°28'W | 16.20 Miles | 833 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Pocahontas |
| 40.6 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°50'N / 94°42'W | 42°56'N / 94°35'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pocahontas |
| 40.7 | 1991-03-22 | 3 | 41°54'N / 93°38'W | 42°14'N / 93°22'W | 27.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Story |
| 40.8 | 1976-08-11 | 2 | 42°04'N / 94°44'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Carroll | |
| 41.3 | 1960-05-05 | 2 | 41°58'N / 94°48'W | 42°03'N / 94°33'W | 13.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Carroll |
| 41.6 | 1955-04-04 | 2 | 41°46'N / 93°59'W | 41°56'N / 93°55'W | 11.60 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dallas |
| 42.3 | 1980-07-19 | 2 | 42°50'N / 94°50'W | 43°01'N / 94°25'W | 24.40 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Palo Alto |
| 42.9 | 1980-07-19 | 2 | 43°01'N / 94°25'W | 43°02'N / 94°23'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Kossuth | ||
| 43.2 | 1989-05-24 | 4 | 42°11'N / 93°27'W | 42°13'N / 93°13'W | 13.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Story |
| 43.5 | 1950-06-15 | 3 | 41°59'N / 93°36'W | 41°58'N / 93°29'W | 5.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 0K | 0 | Story |
| 43.8 | 2005-11-12 | 2 | 41°46'N / 94°04'W | 41°51'N / 94°01'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Dallas |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down in Dallas County and moved into Boone County. A very intense weather system developed over the central U.S. during the day on the 12th. A strong upper level system moved through the area with mid and upper level winds in the 70 to 90 kt range. Low level winds of 35 to 50 kts transported moisture north into the system. High temperatures reached the mid 60s to low 70s, with dew point readings approaching 60 by late afternoon. A surface low developed over northern Kansas during the previous night and lifted northeast into eastern South Dakota during the afternoon of the 12th, then into central Minnesota as a 985 mb low by late evening. The atmosphere became quite unstable with CAPE values reaching 1000 J/kg by late afternoon. The Lifted Index values were in the -5 C. range. Being as it was in November, the freezing level was quite low during the event, in the 10,000 to 11,000 foot range. Though the soundings were quite unidirectional, there was plenty of shear with zero to 6 km shear values around 65 kts. Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon in west central in to southwest Iowa. The storms became severe quite quickly. Initially the storms produce quarter to golf ball size hail, with 2 1/2 inch diameter hail falling in Dallas County. Hail up to baseball size fell in Greene County as well. The system transitioned into a tornadic system within an hour with several tornadoes touching down in the central sections of the state. At least 9 communities were hit by tornadoes and 65 homes damaged or destroyed. An 82 year old woman was killed in Stratford when the tornado demolished her home. In a 2 or 3 block area of downtown Woodward, at least 12 houses were totally destroyed. There was one minor injury in Ames, two serious injuries in the Woodward area, and three injuries in Stratford. Due to the extensive damage to property caused by the tornadoes, Iowa Governor Vilsack declared Boone, Story, Webster, Dallas and Hamilton Counties disaster areas. A long-lived tornado tracked through several counties across central Iowa during the late afternoon hours of Nov. 12, 2005. The tornado path is estimated at 27.5 miles long and between 100 and 150 yards wide along the damage path. Tornado (1) initially touched down just west of E Avenue (just south of Boxholm in northwest Boone county), one half mile south of Boone County Highway E18 at approximately 4:27 p.m as an F1 tornado. The tornado then tracked northeast across E Avenue, hitting a farm just north of E18, damaging the home and some out buildings. It also flipped over one pickup truck and killed two horses at this location. The tornado continued northeast, spreading debris across F Avenue just north of 125th Street as it maintained F1 intensity. Two additional homes were damaged with outbuildings destroyed as the tornado tracked northeast across G and H Avenues near 105th Avenue. It then intensified to an F2 tornado as it crossed the Boone/Webster county line. Another home was heavily damaged and a large outbuilding destroyed just north of the Boone/Webster county line. The tornado quickly moved northeast, crossing 390th Street and headed toward the Des Moines River, weakening to an F1 tornado. A continuous, but weak damage path was observed crossing the river as the tornado tracked across open farmland and land adjacent the Des Moines River. The tornado has been rated an F1 tornado during this time. After crossing County D64 in Webster county, the tornado struck another farm near 370th Street and Washington Avenue, damaging the residence and destroying a machine shed along with most of its contents. The tornado again intensified to an F2 at this location. The tornado then headed toward Stratford, crossing the Webster and Hamilton county line just west of County Road D54. The tornado entered Stratford at 4:46 p.m. on the west-central end of town, heavily damaging many homes. The tornado crossed the city park and then exited the city near the north-central portion of Stratford. Numerous homes were heavily damaged with one fatality. As the tornado left Stratford, it continued on a northeast track, lifting and dropping to the ground several times as an F0 and F1 tornado. It damaged three additional farms northeast of Stratford with the last damaged farm north of 320th Street and west of County Road R21 in Hamilton County. Tornado (2) touched down one mile west of Minburn in Dallas County according to the aerial survey. The tornado tracked northeast for about eight miles, producing F0-F1 damage before intensifying near Highway 141. The tornado produced F2 damage at a farm one mile southwest of Woodward, and continued to produce F2 damage through the south and east portions of Woodward. The tornado dissipated one mile northeast of Woodward. Severe houses slid off their foundations in Woodward, and a double-wide home was flipped upside down into the street. Total path length was 11 miles. Tornado (3) touched down in open fields one mile northwest of Madrid. It hit a home three miles north of Madrid on Highway 17, producing F1 damage. One other farm site sustained damage as the tornado moved northeast. The tornado dissipated after a six mile track. Tornado (4) started just west of Ames near the Highway 30 and Lincoln Way Split, according to the aerial survey. The tornado produced F1-F2 damage on the northwest fringe of Ames. It weakened as it moved northeast, before intensifying again and produced F2 damage to a farm site just south of Gilbert. F1 damage occurred as the tornado crossed highway 69. The tornado dissipated three miles south of Story City after a 10 mile track. Tornado (5) was a short-lived satellite tornado that was on the ground for 1.6 miles ending at the southwest edge of Story City. The aerial survey showed very minor damage. Tornado (6) developed one mile west of Roland and tracked across the extreme southeast corner of Hamilton county before entering Hardin county. The tornado produced damage up to F1 intensity to rural farm sites in far northern Story county and five miles south of Radcliffe in Hardin county. The KCCI-TV aerial survey indicated the track was nine miles in length. Tornado (7) was a brief touchdown just south of Williams in Hamilton County. No damage was found from this brief tornado and it is not shown here. Tornado (8) was briefly sighted near Blakesburg in Monroe County. The tornado produced minor damage to a farm building but was not surveyed. Tornado (9) touched down briefly north of Steamboat Rock in Hardin County. The tornado caused little damage. Tornado (10) was actually the first tornado of the day. It formed from the same supercell that eventually moved northeast into the Stratford area. The tornado caused little damage as it moved through fields south of the Scranton Area. Tornado (11) was a brief touchdown on the southwest edge of the Ames City limits. This tornado was from the same parent cell as the previous tornado that touched down in Ames, but was distinct. The tornado was weak and lifted lawn chairs and caused some shingle damage. This tornado was ANTICYCLONIC in nature. | |||||||||||
| 44.3 | 1998-06-29 | 2 | 41°52'N / 93°59'W | 41°46'N / 93°50'W | 10.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 500K | 20K | Dallas |
| Brief Description: A complex weather situation was set up over the central U.S. as a mesoscale convective system passed to the south of Iowa during the overnight hours and early morning of the 29th. Initially, the surface warm front was located to the south of this system. That was not actually the case aloft however. During the predawn hours the surface front surged north and by sunrise was located across northeast Nebraska across northern Iowa. The airmass was very unstable to the south of the front with dew point temperatures will in the 70s F. The initial development of thunderstorms took place during the early part of the day over northeast Nebraska. The storms became severe quickly as they moved and developed eastward into Iowa. By mid morning, the storms had formed a nearly east to west line. Storm relative inflow into the line was around 40 knots. The storms produced a variety of severe weather across Iowa. They initially moved east across the northern and central counties, but then began sinking sinking southeast. The dominant severe weather with the storms was extremely high winds. Damage was very widespread across the state. Winds in excess of 100 MPH were reported with one unofficial wind speed measured at 126 MPH in the town of Washington at 1405 CST. In one unusual story, high winds hit Mahaska County. Three miles south of New Sharon, a puppy was tied to its dog house which was picked up by the wind. The dog house and puppy were lifted over the top of a two car garage and a corn crib. Both were deposited in the farm yard. When found the dog house was upside down and the puppy, though scared, was fine. There were several tornadoes during the event. One of the longer track well defined tornadoes was the initial tornado. It was on the ground for about 11 miles as it swept across Crawford County. Several residences, outbuildings, grain bins, and trees were damaged along its path. Reports indicate that between 30 and 50 residences were damaged by this tornado. There were several small tornadoes in central Iowa. They had short tracks and only touched down briefly. One cut a mile long path east of Marshalltown through a corn field and a grove of trees. Another in Dallas County was on the ground through mostly open country for two miles. High winds were a major problem with these storms. Many places reported winds over 80 MPH with incredible tree damage and numerous buildings damaged or destroyed. At least 38 counties were declared disaster areas by the Federal Government due to the severe damage and flooding. A final total will not be available before publication deadlines, however preliminary data have been included. In the Des Moines County Warning Area these included: Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Audubon, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Adams, and Taylor. One of the hardest hit Counties was Polk County. Damage appeared to be from straight line winds based on a storm survey that was done following the event. The damage occurred over the southwest semicircle of a large meso low in contact with the ground. Due to the rapid translational speed of 50 to 75 MPH, winds were enhanced on the southwest semicircle of the meso low. Smaller scale winds could have been embedded within this circulation as well. There was little evidence of small scale convergent tornadic damage, however aerial surveys did make some suggestion and eye witness accounts of sightings were quite numerous in the metro Des Moines area. All trees and debris were laid down to the south or southeast. The major damage swath as 3 to 7 miles wide northwest of Camp Dodge, with a widening into a full blown derecho after that. The event was born a few miles northwest of Perry, between Rippey and Berkley in southwest Boone County. The mile wide damage path expanded to over 3 miles by the time it reached full intensity near highway 169 between Woodward and Perry. The path continued through Granger, Camp Dodge, and Johnston. The path was nearly 7 miles wide near Granger. A second, smaller, meso low passed near Madrid, downing power lines. This meso low matured near Jester Park Golf Course, causing significant structural damage to houses. The two meso lows merged near the NWS Forecast Office in Johnston, with two miles of power poles snapped off between Johnston and Granger. Much of the damage along the most severe track was in the F1 intensity category, with speeds in the 75 to 110 MPH range. A few spots along the path, such as in the Granger and Camp Dodge area, sustained sufficient damage to justify F2 winds, 110 to 155 MPH. It appears a tornado or family of tornadoes touched down southeast of Berkley and moved southeast into the Pleasant Hill area just east of Des Moines. The track was intermittent, indicating either one tornado touching down occasionally, or one or more weak tornadoes rotating around the meso circulation. The worst effected metro areas were the Granger area, Johnston, and the northeast side of Des Moines proper. A duplex in Granger was flattened by the winds. There were several reports of roofs being ripped off of stores and houses in the metropolitan Des Moines area. Several small private planes were flipped at a small air field north of Des Moines. There were also several reports of semi-tractortrailer trucks being blown over on Interstate 35. Heavy construction equipment was overturned on Interstate 35/80 just north of Des Moines. Damage was extensive to the east side of Des Moines proper. To make matters worse, following the passage of the main line of thunderstorms, a second line of severe thunderstorms developed and moved across the same areas already hit. The storms were smaller, but did produce brief tornado touch downs and hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter. The second line of storms did eventually combine with the first and moved southeast across the rest of the state. Damage was widespread across the state and it will be months before final numbers are in. Estimates from Polk County alone are near $100 million in damage including cleanup. Totals were still being tallied at this writing, however a few include over $11 million in damage from initial claims in Johnston and $726,000 from West Des Moines just to city buildings and systems. West Des Moines was on the far west edge of the major damage however. In addition to the property damage, at least 125 people were injured during the storm. Most of the injuries were caused by flying debris and many were not serious. Fortunately there were no fatalities. Heavy damage was reported by MidAmerica Energy. On a state wide report, they indicated 200,000 homes were without electricity, effecting over 500,000 people, at one time during the storm. In the metropolitan Des Moines area, 100,000 homes were without electricity at the height of the storm. That number was reduced to around 25,000 36 hours later. The worst damaged areas were without power for 5 to 6 days. Heavy damage was also reported by local telephone and cable systems. In Polk County, the worst damage extended from the Camp Dodge area into the northeast parts of Des Moines. At least 462 homes in the metro Des Moines area sustained significant damage. Statewide, 80 homes were destroyed, 559 sustained severe damage, with 1416 others receiving moderate damage. In the Camp Dodge area, 80 to 90 percent of the brick buildings were damaged with the roofs removed from many of them. Lightning from the storms struck the WSR-88D in the midst of the storm. The radar was taken out of service for more than 24 hours because of this. In addition to the severe weather, flooding quickly became a problem. Iowa soil was nearly saturated as the weather pattern had been very wet for six weeks previous. Although rainfall was not extreme, one to three inches of rain fell over a several county area. This caused widespread urban flooding across north central into central Iowa, though damage from the flooding was not serious. Crop damage was very difficult to determine and will not likely be clear until the fall harvest. Reports from some of the local extension agents say damage to the corn ranged up to 75% destroyed in areas with the highest wind, such as the swath that went through central Iowa in association with the tornado there. No doubt losses will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if not in the millions. Accounts of damage were of course too numerous to document here as the areal extent of the storms was very large. Countless reports of parts of crop fields being flattened were received. Semi-tractortrailer trucks were overturned by the high winds both in the Des Moines metro area as well as in Newton. Trees were found on houses over a large part of the state. One news reported wrote "there is not a power pole standing between Fort Dodge and Oskaloosa". Though not figuratively true, this statement does point out the extensive damage that occurred with these storms.l | |||||||||||
| 44.4 | 1995-05-27 | 2 | 41°52'N / 94°49'W | 42°09'N / 94°42'W | 22.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 6K | Carroll |
| 44.6 | 1967-06-08 | 2 | 42°00'N / 93°36'W | 42°02'N / 93°19'W | 14.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Story |
| 44.6 | 1991-03-22 | 3 | 42°14'N / 93°22'W | 42°24'N / 93°09'W | 16.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hardin |
| 44.7 | 1974-06-09 | 2 | 43°05'N / 94°01'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kossuth | |||
| 44.7 | 1958-08-05 | 2 | 42°45'N / 95°10'W | 42°30'N / 94°45'W | 27.10 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Buena Vista |
| 45.2 | 1965-05-15 | 2 | 42°24'N / 95°00'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sac | |
| 45.4 | 1976-06-13 | 3 | 41°43'N / 94°06'W | 41°51'N / 94°04'W | 8.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dallas |
| 45.6 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°55'N / 94°45'W | 43°02'N / 94°32'W | 15.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Palo Alto |
| 46.0 | 1976-04-14 | 2 | 41°46'N / 94°01'W | 41°48'N / 93°55'W | 4.90 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Dallas |
| 46.2 | 1972-06-07 | 2 | 42°04'N / 94°52'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Carroll | |
| 46.3 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 42°51'N / 94°51'W | 42°55'N / 94°45'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Pocahontas |
| 46.4 | 1959-05-31 | 2 | 42°03'N / 93°26'W | 42°13'N / 93°11'W | 17.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Story |
| 46.8 | 1986-06-29 | 2 | 41°51'N / 94°34'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Guthrie | |
| 46.9 | 1990-03-13 | 3 | 42°01'N / 93°23'W | 42°08'N / 93°18'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Story |
| 47.4 | 1964-05-07 | 2 | 41°50'N / 94°33'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Guthrie | |
| 48.1 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 43°01'N / 93°35'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hancock | |
| 48.2 | 1979-06-28 | 3 | 43°15'N / 94°15'W | 43°01'N / 94°13'W | 15.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 2 | 34 | 25.0M | 0 | Kossuth |
| 48.5 | 1959-05-10 | 2 | 42°45'N / 93°20'W | 42°49'N / 93°14'W | 6.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin |
| 48.5 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 42°58'N / 93°29'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cerro Gordo | |
| 48.6 | 1972-06-07 | 2 | 42°09'N / 94°59'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Carroll | |
| 48.7 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 43°00'N / 94°28'W | 43°13'N / 94°23'W | 15.20 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Palo Alto |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.