50594 Zip Code Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in 50594 Zip Code is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in 50594 Zip Code is higher than Iowa average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #481
| 50594 Zip Code | 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
| 50594 Zip Code | 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, #394
| 50594 Zip Code | 250.18 |
| 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 3,468 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of 50594 Zip Code 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: | 421 | Hail: | 1,223 | Heat: | 5 | Heavy Snow: | 48 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 27 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 57 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,287 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 49 | Winter Weather: | 30 |
| Other: | 251 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near 50594 Zip Code.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near 50594 Zip Code.
No historical earthquake events found in or near 50594 Zip Code.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 98 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near 50594 Zip Code.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.8 | 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 |
| 6.6 | 1977-05-04 | 4 | 42°32'N / 94°09'W | 2.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 14 | 250K | 0 | Webster | |
| 8.5 | 1964-08-29 | 2 | 42°33'N / 94°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Webster | |
| 8.7 | 1967-06-08 | 4 | 42°31'N / 94°11'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 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 |
| 10.0 | 1960-06-16 | 2 | 42°30'N / 94°12'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Webster | |
| 10.1 | 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 |
| 12.2 | 1977-05-04 | 2 | 42°28'N / 94°13'W | 1.00 Mile | 70 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Webster | |
| 15.0 | 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 |
| 15.1 | 1965-05-15 | 2 | 42°47'N / 94°10'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Humboldt | |
| 15.9 | 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 |
| 16.1 | 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 |
| 17.9 | 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 |
| 18.1 | 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 |
| 18.5 | 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 |
| 19.3 | 1981-06-12 | 2 | 42°50'N / 94°13'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Humboldt | |||
| 19.4 | 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 |
| 19.5 | 1979-06-28 | 2 | 42°25'N / 93°44'W | 1.00 Mile | 177 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hamilton | |
| 20.0 | 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 |
| 20.1 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 42°49'N / 93°48'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wright | |
| 20.3 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 22.5 | 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 |
| 22.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 23.5 | 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 |
| 23.5 | 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 |
| 24.0 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 24.4 | 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 |
| 24.4 | 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 |
| 25.0 | 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 |
| 25.2 | 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 |
| 26.0 | 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 |
| 26.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 27.8 | 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 |
| 28.1 | 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 |
| 28.5 | 1974-06-22 | 2 | 42°18'N / 93°39'W | 42°19'N / 93°36'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hamilton | ||
| 29.2 | 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 |
| 29.5 | 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 |
| 30.3 | 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 |
| 31.1 | 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 |
| 32.5 | 1964-07-07 | 2 | 42°10'N / 93°45'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |
| 32.5 | 1965-05-15 | 2 | 42°23'N / 94°37'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 33.3 | 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 |
| 34.3 | 1964-05-07 | 2 | 42°06'N / 93°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |||
| 34.4 | 1974-06-09 | 2 | 43°05'N / 94°01'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kossuth | |||
| 35.2 | 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 |
| 35.3 | 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 |
| 35.4 | 1980-07-19 | 2 | 43°01'N / 94°25'W | 43°02'N / 94°23'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Kossuth | ||
| 35.8 | 1966-06-11 | 2 | 42°05'N / 93°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |
| 35.8 | 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 |
| 36.5 | 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 |
| 36.7 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°04'N / 93°53'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | |||
| 36.8 | 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 |
| 37.1 | 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 |
| 37.7 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 43°01'N / 93°35'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hancock | |
| 37.7 | 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 |
| 37.8 | 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 |
| 38.2 | 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 |
| 38.3 | 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 |
| 38.4 | 1976-06-13 | 3 | 42°05'N / 93°44'W | 42°05'N / 93°42'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Boone | ||
| 38.6 | 1973-09-26 | 2 | 42°58'N / 93°29'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cerro Gordo | |
| 39.1 | 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 |
| 39.4 | 1965-09-16 | 2 | 42°07'N / 93°36'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Story | |
| 39.5 | 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 |
| 40.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 40.4 | 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 |
| 40.7 | 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 |
| 40.8 | 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 |
| 41.0 | 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 |
| 41.4 | 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 |
| 41.5 | 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 |
| 42.4 | 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 |
| 42.8 | 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 |
| 42.8 | 1967-06-07 | 2 | 42°03'N / 93°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Story | |
| 43.7 | 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 |
| 43.9 | 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 |
| 44.1 | 1998-06-27 | 2 | 42°59'N / 93°26'W | 43°04'N / 93°23'W | 7.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 2K | Cerro Gordo |
| Brief Description: Iowa was located in the warm sector of a developing storm system to the west. The warm front had moved to the northern Iowa border during the afternoon of the 27th with dew point temperatures in the mid 70s to around 80 blanketing the state in the warm sector. Initially, the airmass was capped, preventing thunderstorms from forming during the afternoon. Slightly cooler air moved in during the evening hours. In addition to the slightly cooler air moving in aloft, a cold front was poised over eastern Nebraska ready to move east into the state. Thunderstorms erupted rapidly by early evening with hail and high winds reported over northern Iowa. There were numerous reports of hail of an inch or larger in diameter, with a few reports of golf ball size hail. High winds were also a problem with many of the storms producing 60 to 70 MPH wind gusts. Reports of tree and power line damage were widespread. There were a few tornadoes as well. One tracked across open country in Cerro Gordo County before damaging a house south of Clear Lake. Another tornado touched down near Swaledale in Cerro Gordo County and passed southeast of Mason City. Much of the track was over open country, however one house was destroyed near Swaledale by this tornado. The longest track tornado moved across Butler and Bremer Counties. It also passed through open country, causing damage to crops and out buildings. In addition to these, there were a few brief touchdowns reported. Iowa soil remained very saturated with numerous rivers at or near flood stage. Heavy rainfall of near 4 inches in a couple hours time caused flash flooding in Cerro Gordo County. A widespread area of north central into northeast Iowa received heavy rainfall. Many areas picked up two to four inches of rain in a few hour period. This resulted in urban and small stream flooding, and ultimately general river flooding in the days that followed. As the storms moved through Worth County, lightning struck an outbuilding west of Kensett. The building was set on fire and destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 44.8 | 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 |
| 45.2 | 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 |
| 45.3 | 1951-06-25 | 2 | 43°13'N / 93°48'W | 0.80 Mile | 500 Yards | 0 | 8 | 0K | 0 | Hancock | |
| 45.4 | 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 |
| 45.4 | 1953-05-20 | 3 | 42°18'N / 93°18'W | 42°33'N / 93°03'W | 21.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hardin |
| 45.5 | 1953-05-10 | 4 | 43°04'N / 93°31'W | 43°10'N / 93°30'W | 6.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Hancock |
| 45.8 | 1998-05-15 | 2 | 43°01'N / 94°14'W | 43°28'N / 94°06'W | 31.30 Miles | 175 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 75K | Kossuth |
| Brief Description: Intermittent track As the system mentioned above continued to evolve, a widespread outbreak of severe weather took place over Iowa. Strong upper level dynamics moved over the state over the top of an unstable air mass. Surface dew point temperatures were in the low 70s with actual temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. CAPE values rose to between 2500 and 3500 J/kg. The situation became complex during the afternoon as several bands of severe thunderstorms developed. Some areas of the state were affected three times during the day as the storms raced northeast around 60 MPH. The main severe feature with the storms was high wind. There were numerous reports of wind gusts of 60 to 75 MPH. Some were even higher. One of the highest reports came from Atlantic in Cass County. Ninety one MPH winds there threw several cars and a few semi-tractortrailer trucks off of Interstate 80. High winds in Kossuth County at Algona resulted in roof damage at a nursing home there. Part of the roof was removed by the winds with the damage estimates to the building places at around $200,000. Another cluster of storms moved into north central Iowa and caused widespread damage in Cerro Gordo and Worth Counties. Both were hit with winds around 70 MPH. There were numerous other reports of damage to farm buildings around the state ranging from corn cribs damaged to barns being destroyed. Damage to trees and power lines was extensive. North of Algona, along U.S. Highway 169, seventy eight power poles were downed by the high winds resulting in a four day closure of the highway. Utility damage around the county was estimated at between $600,000 and $800,000, while insurance adjusters estimated damage around the county at $1.2 million. There were some reports of hail, especially during the first few hours of the event. The largest hail was around golf ball in size. In addition to the wind and hail, there were several tornado touch downs in the state. A tornado touched down in Kossuth County and did over $1 million in damage. The tornado destroyed 2 houses with another 10 sustaining major damage. Fifteen farmsteads were destroyed as well. Kossuth County was later declared a disaster area. There was also considerable damage to barns and other farm buildings across the county. The outflow from the tornadic storm in Kossuth County pushed an 85 MPH wind gust south into Humboldt County. The high winds blew over 41 railroad cars of the Union Pacific Railroad south of Ottosen. A band of 80 to 90 MPH winds swept across Franklin and Butler Counties. Damage was widespread. There was one report of the wind carrying the family dog over one half mile from home. The dog was later found safe and healthy. Another of the stronger tornadoes included one in Wright County that was on the ground for over 10 miles. It damaged several farm buildings along its path. Several 2 x 4's were driven into the ground north of Clarion by the tornado. Another fairly strong tornado touched down in Crawford County. The rope tornado touched down southeast of Denison. It hit a train about 3 miles east of Denison and derailed nine cars of the Union Pacific freight train. The engineer saw it coming and thought it was so small that nothing would happen. There was also minor damage to 1 house and several out buildings. There were a few other brief touch downs around the state, however no damage was reported with them. The rapid movement of the storms prevented a lot of the flooding that would have otherwise occurred. Repeat thunderstorms passing over Kossuth County did cause some urban flooding. Damage was relatively minor, however several homes reported minor flooding. As the storms moved across Hancock County, lightning struck a house in the town of Britt. The kitchen sink was blown away from the wall and all of the appliances and the electrical equipment in the house was damaged. Lightning struck very close to another house in Wright County in Belmond. A 75-year old woman received minor injuries as she was struck by lightning as she unplugged her TV near a large window. | |||||||||||
| 45.8 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 46.2 | 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 |
| 46.3 | 1982-05-17 | 2 | 43°13'N / 93°49'W | 43°15'N / 93°48'W | 2.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hancock |
| 46.5 | 1967-04-30 | 2 | 43°13'N / 93°48'W | 43°14'N / 93°42'W | 4.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hancock |
| 46.8 | 1984-06-07 | 3 | 43°12'N / 94°13'W | 43°19'N / 94°05'W | 9.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25.0M | 0 | Kossuth |
| 46.8 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 43°12'N / 93°49'W | 43°17'N / 93°48'W | 5.00 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Hancock |
| 47.1 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 43°13'N / 94°04'W | 43°19'N / 93°58'W | 8.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Kossuth |
| 47.5 | 1974-06-18 | 2 | 41°57'N / 93°41'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Story | |
| 47.6 | 1963-05-09 | 2 | 43°13'N / 93°55'W | 43°17'N / 93°40'W | 13.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hancock |
| 48.1 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 48.7 | 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 |
| 49.0 | 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 |
| 49.2 | 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 |
| 49.2 | 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 |
| 49.5 | 1990-08-02 | 2 | 43°16'N / 93°49'W | 43°16'N / 93°39'W | 7.00 Miles | 63 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Winnebago |
* 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.