Alburnett, IA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Alburnett is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Alburnett is higher than Iowa average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #394
| Alburnett, 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
| Alburnett, 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, #210
| Alburnett, IA | 264.29 |
| 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 4,177 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Alburnett, 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: | 18 | Cold: | 38 | Dense Fog: | 11 | Drought: | 11 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 462 | Hail: | 1,302 | Heat: | 9 | Heavy Snow: | 49 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 21 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 46 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,762 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 88 | Winter Weather: | 42 |
| Other: | 318 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Alburnett, IA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Alburnett, IA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Alburnett, IA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 100 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Alburnett, IA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 2.6 | 1954-05-23 | 2 | 42°10'N / 91°40'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Linn | |||
| 5.9 | 1954-04-30 | 2 | 41°40'N / 92°00'W | 42°28'N / 91°18'W | 65.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Iowa |
| 6.7 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 42°07'N / 91°28'W | 42°09'N / 91°31'W | 2.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Linn |
| 6.8 | 1972-09-28 | 2 | 42°12'N / 91°47'W | 42°17'N / 91°22'W | 21.90 Miles | 2200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Linn |
| 6.9 | 1966-10-14 | 2 | 42°03'N / 91°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Linn | |
| 10.4 | 2003-07-20 | 2 | 42°00'N / 91°39'W | 42°00'N / 91°39'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Linn |
| Brief Description: Strong F2...winds estimated at 140 mph. Tornado touched down near the intersection of Zelda Drive and E Avenue Northwest. The tornado moved southeast for 0.25 miles across Peace Avenue and then lifted on Floral Avenue. The tornado reached peak intensity on Peace Avenue where F2 winds unroofed 3 homes, and 26 other homes were heavily damaged. This was the first tornado inside the Cedar Rapids city limits since 1965. | |||||||||||
| 10.7 | 2004-05-21 | 3 | 42°03'N / 91°49'W | 42°04'N / 91°46'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 50K | Linn |
| Brief Description: Rated F3 with winds estimated at 175 mph. Tornado developed just east of the Benton-Linn County Line Road and moved Northeast to Palo. The tornado initially caused damage to a farm 2 miles southwest of Palo where a garage and 3 outbuildings were destroyed. As it approached Palo, another farm was severely damaged where the roof and walls were torn off a house and a car was lofted 50 feet. The tornado continued across the southern edge of Palo where it destroyed a mobile home. | |||||||||||
| 11.2 | 1966-06-05 | 2 | 42°17'N / 91°30'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Linn | |||
| 12.4 | 1971-07-12 | 3 | 42°18'N / 91°31'W | 42°18'N / 91°28'W | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Delaware | ||
| 12.7 | 2003-07-20 | 2 | 42°00'N / 91°46'W | 42°00'N / 91°46'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 45K | Linn |
| Brief Description: Tornado developed in a corn field about 0.5 miles north of Covington. The tornado moved South Southeast crossing North Glen and Michael Road in Covington and then lifted in another corn field just north of Ellis Road. | |||||||||||
| 12.7 | 1953-05-20 | 3 | 41°59'N / 91°34'W | 42°01'N / 91°23'W | 9.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Linn |
| 13.8 | 1971-05-18 | 3 | 42°00'N / 91°52'W | 42°03'N / 91°48'W | 4.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Benton |
| 14.4 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°14'N / 91°25'W | 42°16'N / 91°20'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Linn |
| 14.7 | 1965-05-26 | 2 | 41°52'N / 91°54'W | 42°03'N / 91°36'W | 19.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 14 | 250K | 0 | Linn |
| 15.6 | 1974-08-12 | 4 | 42°21'N / 91°29'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Delaware | |
| 17.9 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 42°24'N / 91°41'W | 42°25'N / 91°35'W | 5.50 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Buchanan |
| 19.0 | 1961-04-23 | 3 | 42°04'N / 92°46'W | 42°15'N / 91°13'W | 80.30 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Tama |
| 19.5 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°16'N / 91°20'W | 42°20'N / 91°16'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Jones |
| 20.1 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 42°25'N / 91°35'W | 42°27'N / 91°30'W | 5.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 22.7 | 1953-05-20 | 3 | 42°01'N / 91°23'W | 42°05'N / 91°01'W | 19.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0 | Jones |
| 23.8 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 42°21'N / 91°32'W | 42°35'N / 91°21'W | 17.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 25.2 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°42'N / 91°49'W | 41°52'N / 91°24'W | 27.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnson |
| 25.6 | 1964-05-04 | 2 | 42°20'N / 91°15'W | 42°23'N / 91°10'W | 4.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 25.7 | 1950-07-01 | 2 | 42°27'N / 91°55'W | 14.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Buchanan | |
| 25.9 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°20'N / 91°16'W | 42°23'N / 91°08'W | 9.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Delaware |
| 26.2 | 1995-05-09 | 2 | 41°49'N / 91°19'W | 41°54'N / 91°16'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Cedar |
| 26.5 | 1995-07-27 | 3 | 42°36'N / 91°41'W | 42°27'N / 91°21'W | 20.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 330K | Buchanan And Delaware |
| 26.9 | 1971-05-18 | 3 | 41°54'N / 92°05'W | 41°57'N / 92°01'W | 4.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Benton |
| 27.3 | 1954-04-30 | 2 | 42°13'N / 91°12'W | 42°27'N / 91°06'W | 16.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jones |
| 27.6 | 1969-06-26 | 2 | 42°22'N / 91°34'W | 42°39'N / 91°12'W | 26.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 27.6 | 1992-07-13 | 3 | 42°11'N / 91°08'W | 42°11'N / 91°02'W | 5.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jones |
| 28.0 | 1965-08-26 | 4 | 42°18'N / 92°11'W | 42°15'N / 92°06'W | 4.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Benton |
| 28.2 | 1960-11-15 | 2 | 42°28'N / 91°28'W | 42°34'N / 91°18'W | 10.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 28.9 | 1988-11-15 | 2 | 42°29'N / 91°28'W | 42°36'N / 91°23'W | 11.00 Miles | 63 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Delaware |
| 29.4 | 1998-06-18 | 2 | 42°29'N / 92°03'W | 42°36'N / 91°38'W | 20.00 Miles | 25 Yards | 0 | 0 | 800K | 0 | Buchanan |
| Brief Description: A farm south of Jesup sustained massive damage from a tornado and severe thunderstorm winds which passed across Buchanan County. Most of the out buildings were damaged or destroyed and every tree on the farm was lost. A double car garage was blown into a cornfield, the tool shed was pushed off it's foundation, gas barrels were gone, and a Morton Building was destroyed. There was also serious damage to the the barn roof. In the home glass was driven into the woodwork. Closet doors and the access door to the attic were blown off, and attic insulation was driven down into the house. At another farm three grain wagons were lifted off the ground. One landed vertically across the road in a ditch and another landed in a ditch near the farmhouse. Shingles and shutters were blown off this house, and 60 feet of roof was torn off the cattle shed. At the Cedar Crest and St Athansius Cemetaries east of Jesup 46 trees were destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 30.4 | 1990-03-13 | 4 | 42°23'N / 91°08'W | 42°24'N / 91°07'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Dubuque |
| 31.0 | 1965-08-26 | 4 | 42°18'N / 92°12'W | 42°18'N / 92°11'W | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Black Hawk | ||
| 31.3 | 1971-05-31 | 3 | 42°06'N / 92°18'W | 42°12'N / 92°10'W | 9.40 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Tama |
| 31.4 | 1965-07-18 | 2 | 42°18'N / 92°12'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Black Hawk | |
| 31.5 | 2008-05-25 | 3 | 42°36'N / 92°01'W | 42°34'N / 91°36'W | 21.00 Miles | 1232 Yards | 0 | 3 | 1.0M | 0K | Buchanan |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado developed just east of the county lines southwest of Fairbank and moved east. The tornado cross the southern part of Hazelton and continued east into Delaware County. Over ten homes, about 50 non-anchored mobile homes at a dealership, and numerous outbuildings were destroyed. Several other homes sustained structural damage. Numerous trees and utility poles were also blown down. An SUV was flipped over in Hazelton injuring the driver and some passengers. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Heavy rain-producing showers and thunderstorms moved across much of eastern Iowa and northwest and west central Illinois from the evening of May 25th to the early morning of May 26th. Some of the stronger storms also produced tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail. Buchanan, Delaware, and Dubuque counties in Iowa were hardest hit with the heavy rains, where rainfall totals of 3 to 8 inches fell resulting in flash flooding. | |||||||||||
| 31.5 | 1960-04-16 | 3 | 42°28'N / 92°05'W | 42°30'N / 92°00'W | 3.80 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Buchanan |
| 31.6 | 1973-04-21 | 2 | 41°40'N / 91°50'W | 41°45'N / 91°45'W | 6.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnson |
| 32.7 | 2001-09-06 | 2 | 42°37'N / 91°44'W | 42°37'N / 91°43'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0 | Buchanan |
| Brief Description: Tornado reported by emergency manager Event Summary for 09/06/01: A strong short wave trough in the upper level atmosphere, moved northeast through Iowa and Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening hours. This wave of energy helped thunderstorms, which were moving along a warm front in northeast Iowa, become strong. Despite the lack of convective available potential energy, ample moisture and wind shear along the front allowed thunderstorms within this area of rain to rotate and produce a few short lived tornadoes. One storm in Buchanan County Iowa, produced two tornadoes as it quickly moved northeast along the warm front. Here is a summary of the tornadoes which struck northeastern Buchanan County Iowa. At 605 pm CDT, an F0 tornado touched down 5 miles southwest of Aurora, Iowa, producing damage to the Ralph Kramer farm site. Several out buildings were damaged or destroyed. One empty grain bin was moved off of its foundation. The home only had minor damage, with some siding blown off. The tornado continued moving northeast, producing crop and tree damage as it crossed 142 street. At 625 pm, the tornado struck the Lonnie McAllister farm site, again damaging or destroying farm out buildings. This is also where the most significant crop damage was observed. The tornado then lifted, leaving a trail of some tin and other debris, as the storm moved northeast. This tornado was on the ground for 3.5 miles and was 40 yards wide at its widest point. At 630 pm CDT, an F2 tornado touched down 0.25 miles southwest of Aurora and quickly moved across Aurora, producing damage to the roof of the American Legion building in Aurora. The tornado then struck the Ken Mosher home just east of Aurora. The tornado totally ripped off the roof and two car garage of this newer frame dwelling. The tornado then lifted 0.75 miles northeast of Aurora, and no other tornadoes from this storm touched down again until it had moved about a mile north into Fayette County, Iowa. This tornado was on the ground for 1 mile, and was 50 yards wide. | |||||||||||
| 32.8 | 1991-09-12 | 2 | 41°40'N / 91°50'W | 41°42'N / 91°40'W | 7.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 33.2 | 1966-04-19 | 3 | 42°02'N / 92°17'W | 42°05'N / 92°14'W | 3.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Benton |
| 33.3 | 1962-05-22 | 2 | 41°39'N / 91°32'W | 41°42'N / 91°28'W | 4.10 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 33.5 | 1954-04-30 | 2 | 42°38'N / 91°38'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Buchanan | |
| 33.5 | 2006-04-13 | 2 | 41°40'N / 91°33'W | 41°40'N / 91°33'W | 4.50 Miles | 587 Yards | 0 | 30 | 12.0M | 0 | Johnson |
| Brief Description: Rated very high F2 with winds estimated at 155 mph. Tornado developed at the intersection of highways 1 & 218 on the southwest side of Iowa City at 1929 CST and tracked northeast through the city before lifting just northeast of the intersection of 1st Avenue & Hickory Trail at 1937 CST. This path took it through the southeast corner of the University of Iowa campus. This was the first tornado to hit near the campus in 35 years and the University was closed on Friday April 14th for safety reasons. The KIOW ASOS at the airport on the southwest side of the city recorded a peak wind gust of 49 knots (57 mph) at 1931 CST. This gust was likely the result of the rear flank downdraft as the tornado neared the intersection of U.S. 6 and highway 1 northeast of the airport. Hard times for the location of the tornado are 1930 CST at the Wal-Mart. At 1932-1933 CST power was lost at the Johnson County Sheriff Office with telephone lines, LAN, and automated systems going down as the tornado passed over the building. While the tornado was passing over the sheriff's office, someone flipped the outdoor warning sirens from automatic to manual override and activated the sirens one final time. Damage totals are still being evaluated and the $12 million amount will likely be closer to $15 million or possibly higher. Known damage amounts include; Iowa City and Johnson County $4 million with an additional $755,000 of uninsured loses (traffic lights, signs, street lights), University of Iowa $6 million with the motor pool headquarters a total loss and 31 vehicles damaged, and $1.3 million in damage to residences/businesses. Three automobile dealerships were damaged; one dealership had 200 vehicles damaged, a second had 60-70 vehicles damaged, and a third had nearly every vehicle sustaining some type of damage. A total of 1,016 residential and 35 commercial buildings were damaged with some destroyed. Some well known landmark buildings known to citizens, college students, and alumni were lost or heavily damaged. These included the Dairy Queen (lost) and St. Patrick's Church (heavily damaged). Several historic buildings were damaged downtown and it is unknown whether or not they can or will be saved. The tornado damaged the Alpha Chi Omega sorority house and damaged many student apartments located just off the campus on Iowa, Dodge, and Governor streets. Given the strength and width of the tornado it is amazing that only 30 injuries (many minor) occurred. Many U of I students were unaware of what was happening or dashed to a nearby parking garage for safety with the tornado approaching a few blocks behind them. Several foreign exchange students, many of whom had never seen, experienced, or heard of a tornado, were in awe and disbelief over the magnitude of the event. At St. Patrick's Church, the Maundy Thursday evening service had just ended. Upon being told of an approaching tornado by Decon Jerome Miller, the Reverend Rudolph Juarez ushered 50 to 75 parishioners (many elderly) to the safety of the rectory basement next door. This action saved the lives of everyone as the tornado tore off the roof off the church and collapsed the top portion of the brick facade and the steeple into the main congregation area. | |||||||||||
| 34.4 | 1992-07-13 | 2 | 41°58'N / 91°04'W | 41°59'N / 90°55'W | 5.70 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jones |
| 34.8 | 1998-05-15 | 3 | 41°37'N / 91°21'W | 41°53'N / 91°04'W | 15.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2K | 0 | Cedar |
| Brief Description: A tornado developed two miles Southwest of Washington Iowa and produced a 30 mile long continuous path of damage and debris as it moved to the Northeast at nearly 30 mph. The tornado weakened and lifted before reaching I-80 near West Branch Iowa shortly before 6pm. The tornado continued Northeast across Cedar County Iowa producing another 15 miles of isolated damage...not continuous. The storm producing this tornado continued Northeast producing a brief touchdown one mile west of Oxford Mills Iowa near the intersection of county roads E53 and X64. Another brief touchdown occurred south of Dubuque near Zwingle Iowa before the storm moved into Wisconsin. In Washington Iowa extensive damage was reported to businesses, a church, numerous homes, an apartment complex housing elderly residents and a livestock sale barn. Fourteen single family homes were destroyed, another fourteen received major damage and forty five reported minor damage. Three multi-family housing units were destroyed and two received major damage. Twenty six detached units (sheds and garages) were destroyed or sustained major damage. Across Washington county fourteen farmsteads were hit by the tornado with damage ranging from moderate to heavy. Utility damage was listed at $218,000. In the city of Washington twenty seven individuals sustained minor injuries requiring medical treatment. One person was hospitalized for treatment of injuries he received when his automobile was picked up and rolled over by the tornado. In Johnson County twenty miles of power lines and poles were damaged, fifteen roads were closed due to debris and one bridge was destroyed. Six residences were destroyed, eight more sustained minor the major damage, and three farms were affected. Seventeen people were treated and released for injuries in Johnson County. In Cedar County moderate to heavy damage was reported to five different properties as the tornado destroyed a home, barns, grain bins, machine and hog sheds, a hog nursery and a chicken coop. Two persons near Downey suffered injuries requiring stitches when bricks and debris fell upon them while they were taking shelter in their basement. | |||||||||||
| 34.8 | 1964-05-07 | 3 | 42°36'N / 91°54'W | 42°38'N / 91°51'W | 2.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Buchanan |
| 35.0 | 1954-04-30 | 4 | 42°06'N / 91°45'W | 43°11'N / 91°10'W | 80.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Linn |
| 36.0 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°30'N / 91°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dubuque | |
| 36.2 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 42°24'N / 91°00'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque | |||
| 36.3 | 1956-04-26 | 2 | 42°00'N / 92°20'W | 42°00'N / 92°16'W | 2.30 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Tama |
| 36.5 | 1958-07-29 | 2 | 42°20'N / 91°05'W | 42°17'N / 90°48'W | 14.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque |
| 36.6 | 1972-09-28 | 2 | 42°17'N / 91°22'W | 42°25'N / 90°33'W | 42.60 Miles | 2200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jones |
| 37.8 | 2000-05-11 | 2 | 42°34'N / 92°10'W | 42°30'N / 92°08'W | 5.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 2K | Black Hawk |
| Brief Description: Two houses destroyed The seasons first tornado outbreak took place during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 11th. During the day, very strong warm air advection took place. Temperatures warmed rapidly during the day with highs reaching the mid to upper 90s over about the southwest half of the state. Dew point temperatures were in the upper 60s to low 70s. This combination produced CAPE values in excess of 8000 J/kg. During the afternoon, a strong cap was in place with 700 mb temperatures around +16 C. This prevented convection from firing during the afternoon. Toward evening, thunderstorms broke through the cap over northeast Iowa. The storms went from initial echo to tornadic storms in less than 50 minutes. A supercell formed west of the Waterloo area. This cell became a splitting cell and produced a brief tornado in Grundy County as the right moving cell split off, and golf ball size hail in Bremer County from the left moving cell. The cell moved off quickly, however additional supercells back developed over the same area. the strongest tornado developed in the Cedar Falls area and tracked across the northern portions of Waterloo. This cell produced a strong tornado which was actually a multi-vortex tornado based on reports from storm chasers in the area. At one point, west of Dunkerton, three tornadoes each one quarter mile wide were on the ground with this storm. The tornado damaged several houses and a few farmsteads along the way. Reports indicated between 5 and 10 houses in Black Hawk County were totally destroyed, and another 15 to 20 sustained significant damage. A total of at least 41 structures sustained at least some damage. In addition to the tornado, damage also occurred south of the track as RFD winds estimated as high as 100 MPH were observed. Dunkerton was hard hit as the tornado moved through. Heavy damage was reported at a coop elevator in Dunkerton, with 10 of 16 grain elevators damaged. A roof was removed from a church as well, resulting in about $500,000 damage. The City Hall building was destroyed in Dunkerton. The City Hall was housed in a series of double wide trailers since ironically the former City Hall building was destroyed just last year in the floods of '99. As the tornado moved through the fairly densely populated area, numerous injuries were reported. Some of the injuries were severe with limbs being cut off by flying debris. One woman lost both one arm and one hand, and had her back broken. She passed away 17 days after her injuries occurred. Six of the injuries occurred at a nursing home that was hit by the tornado. They occurred as the 139 residents were being evacuated. Reports indicated the width of the tornado was up to three-quarters of a mile at its widest. The damage path from the storm was around one and one half miles wide. The tornado continued moving east and crossed into Buchanan County, about 4 miles northeast of Dunkerton. A short time later, another cell developed in the Dunkerton area and dropped a tornado. That tornado struck a farm northwest of town, destroying the farm house and seven outbuildings. In addition to the damage that occurred to the structures, the family dog and one of the five horses on the farm were killed. Reports indicate a letter from one of the farm houses destroyed was found 60 miles away from Dunkerton in the town of Monona in Clayton County. Polly Mill's rural Dunkerton farmhouse was shredded by the tornado. She lost some of her late husband's military medals, pages out of the family Bible, and part of her collection of letters and first-issue stamps. Sixty miles away, on a farm east of Monona, the letter was found in an envelope carrying a first-day issue, 5-cent stamp commemorating the Battle of New Orleans. There was yet a third round of tornadic storms in the Dunkerton area. The last tornado touched down near Dunkerton and developed southward. Two houses in the town of Dunkerton were destroyed by this tornado. In addition to the tornadoes, very heavy rain fell in a narrow area of Black Hawk County. Reports of 3 inches or more of rain was received from the area. Soil conditions were very dry at the time. The dry soil conditions helped preclude any significant flooding. By the afternoon of the 12th, Iowa Governor Vilsack had declared Black Hawk County a state disaster area. | |||||||||||
| 38.2 | 1964-05-07 | 2 | 42°40'N / 91°53'W | 2.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fayette | |
| 38.3 | 1975-11-09 | 3 | 42°12'N / 92°28'W | 42°41'N / 92°03'W | 39.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Tama |
| 38.4 | 1974-04-28 | 2 | 41°38'N / 91°21'W | 41°39'N / 91°17'W | 2.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 16 | 250K | 0 | Cedar |
| 38.4 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°51'N / 90°56'W | 42°52'N / 90°55'W | 70.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cedar |
| 38.4 | 1973-04-21 | 2 | 41°35'N / 91°55'W | 41°40'N / 91°50'W | 6.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 6 | 0K | 0 | Iowa |
| 38.6 | 1976-06-13 | 2 | 42°25'N / 92°16'W | 42°36'N / 92°08'W | 14.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Black Hawk |
| 38.7 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 41°39'N / 91°20'W | 41°40'N / 91°11'W | 10.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cedar |
| 38.7 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°42'N / 91°10'W | 41°46'N / 91°04'W | 7.00 Miles | 90 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cedar |
| 39.7 | 1960-04-16 | 3 | 42°22'N / 92°32'W | 42°28'N / 92°05'W | 23.70 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Black Hawk |
| 39.9 | 1974-08-12 | 4 | 41°45'N / 92°11'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Iowa | |
| 40.0 | 1959-05-09 | 2 | 42°06'N / 92°24'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tama | |||
| 40.6 | 1964-05-07 | 2 | 42°31'N / 92°20'W | 42°28'N / 92°12'W | 7.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 27 | 25.0M | 0 | Black Hawk |
| 40.7 | 1967-04-30 | 2 | 42°24'N / 90°54'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dubuque | |
| 40.8 | 1998-05-15 | 3 | 41°31'N / 91°30'W | 41°37'N / 91°29'W | 14.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 17 | 6.0M | 0 | Johnson |
| Brief Description: A tornado developed two miles Southwest of Washington Iowa and produced a 30 mile long continuous path of damage and debris as it moved to the Northeast at nearly 30 mph. The tornado weakened and lifted before reaching I-80 near West Branch Iowa shortly before 6pm. The tornado continued Northeast across Cedar County Iowa producing another 15 miles of isolated damage...not continuous. The storm producing this tornado continued Northeast producing a brief touchdown one mile west of Oxford Mills Iowa near the intersection of county roads E53 and X64. Another brief touchdown occurred south of Dubuque near Zwingle Iowa before the storm moved into Wisconsin. In Washington Iowa extensive damage was reported to businesses, a church, numerous homes, an apartment complex housing elderly residents and a livestock sale barn. Fourteen single family homes were destroyed, another fourteen received major damage and forty five reported minor damage. Three multi-family housing units were destroyed and two received major damage. Twenty six detached units (sheds and garages) were destroyed or sustained major damage. Across Washington county fourteen farmsteads were hit by the tornado with damage ranging from moderate to heavy. Utility damage was listed at $218,000. In the city of Washington twenty seven individuals sustained minor injuries requiring medical treatment. One person was hospitalized for treatment of injuries he received when his automobile was picked up and rolled over by the tornado. In Johnson County twenty miles of power lines and poles were damaged, fifteen roads were closed due to debris and one bridge was destroyed. Six residences were destroyed, eight more sustained minor the major damage, and three farms were affected. Seventeen people were treated and released for injuries in Johnson County. In Cedar County moderate to heavy damage was reported to five different properties as the tornado destroyed a home, barns, grain bins, machine and hog sheds, a hog nursery and a chicken coop. Two persons near Downey suffered injuries requiring stitches when bricks and debris fell upon them while they were taking shelter in their basement. | |||||||||||
| 40.9 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 41°32'N / 91°22'W | 41°39'N / 91°20'W | 4.00 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Johnson |
| 41.0 | 1953-06-07 | 2 | 41°42'N / 92°45'W | 41°52'N / 91°45'W | 52.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Poweshiek |
| 41.5 | 1966-05-23 | 2 | 41°36'N / 91°16'W | 41°39'N / 91°11'W | 4.90 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Muscatine |
| 41.8 | 1976-06-12 | 2 | 42°32'N / 92°13'W | 42°38'N / 92°10'W | 6.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Black Hawk |
| 42.1 | 2000-05-11 | 2 | 42°34'N / 92°14'W | 42°36'N / 92°10'W | 3.60 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 0 | 350K | 5K | Black Hawk |
| Brief Description: Farm and several outbuildings destroyed The seasons first tornado outbreak took place during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 11th. During the day, very strong warm air advection took place. Temperatures warmed rapidly during the day with highs reaching the mid to upper 90s over about the southwest half of the state. Dew point temperatures were in the upper 60s to low 70s. This combination produced CAPE values in excess of 8000 J/kg. During the afternoon, a strong cap was in place with 700 mb temperatures around +16 C. This prevented convection from firing during the afternoon. Toward evening, thunderstorms broke through the cap over northeast Iowa. The storms went from initial echo to tornadic storms in less than 50 minutes. A supercell formed west of the Waterloo area. This cell became a splitting cell and produced a brief tornado in Grundy County as the right moving cell split off, and golf ball size hail in Bremer County from the left moving cell. The cell moved off quickly, however additional supercells back developed over the same area. the strongest tornado developed in the Cedar Falls area and tracked across the northern portions of Waterloo. This cell produced a strong tornado which was actually a multi-vortex tornado based on reports from storm chasers in the area. At one point, west of Dunkerton, three tornadoes each one quarter mile wide were on the ground with this storm. The tornado damaged several houses and a few farmsteads along the way. Reports indicated between 5 and 10 houses in Black Hawk County were totally destroyed, and another 15 to 20 sustained significant damage. A total of at least 41 structures sustained at least some damage. In addition to the tornado, damage also occurred south of the track as RFD winds estimated as high as 100 MPH were observed. Dunkerton was hard hit as the tornado moved through. Heavy damage was reported at a coop elevator in Dunkerton, with 10 of 16 grain elevators damaged. A roof was removed from a church as well, resulting in about $500,000 damage. The City Hall building was destroyed in Dunkerton. The City Hall was housed in a series of double wide trailers since ironically the former City Hall building was destroyed just last year in the floods of '99. As the tornado moved through the fairly densely populated area, numerous injuries were reported. Some of the injuries were severe with limbs being cut off by flying debris. One woman lost both one arm and one hand, and had her back broken. She passed away 17 days after her injuries occurred. Six of the injuries occurred at a nursing home that was hit by the tornado. They occurred as the 139 residents were being evacuated. Reports indicated the width of the tornado was up to three-quarters of a mile at its widest. The damage path from the storm was around one and one half miles wide. The tornado continued moving east and crossed into Buchanan County, about 4 miles northeast of Dunkerton. A short time later, another cell developed in the Dunkerton area and dropped a tornado. That tornado struck a farm northwest of town, destroying the farm house and seven outbuildings. In addition to the damage that occurred to the structures, the family dog and one of the five horses on the farm were killed. Reports indicate a letter from one of the farm houses destroyed was found 60 miles away from Dunkerton in the town of Monona in Clayton County. Polly Mill's rural Dunkerton farmhouse was shredded by the tornado. She lost some of her late husband's military medals, pages out of the family Bible, and part of her collection of letters and first-issue stamps. Sixty miles away, on a farm east of Monona, the letter was found in an envelope carrying a first-day issue, 5-cent stamp commemorating the Battle of New Orleans. There was yet a third round of tornadic storms in the Dunkerton area. The last tornado touched down near Dunkerton and developed southward. Two houses in the town of Dunkerton were destroyed by this tornado. In addition to the tornadoes, very heavy rain fell in a narrow area of Black Hawk County. Reports of 3 inches or more of rain was received from the area. Soil conditions were very dry at the time. The dry soil conditions helped preclude any significant flooding. By the afternoon of the 12th, Iowa Governor Vilsack had declared Black Hawk County a state disaster area. | |||||||||||
| 42.2 | 1995-07-27 | 2 | 41°39'N / 91°17'W | 41°36'N / 91°07'W | 7.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 60K | Cedar |
| Brief Description: A vary dynamic weather pattern was in place across Iowa. The air mass was very unstable with total total indices of 61, K indices over 30, and helicity values over 600 m2-s-2. Soundings at 1200 UTC already indicated lifted indices of -7ø C. Moisture pooling was taking place ahead of a windshift line which extended north to south across central Nebraska at sunrise. Dew point values rose to around 80ø F. over most of Iowa in the morning. A strong cap was in place with 700 mb temps nearing +15ø C. This held convection to a minimum. Thunderstorms had formed the previous night across South Dakota and advanced into southern Minnesota. They slid southeast and moved into north central Iowa during the late morning hours. Golf ball-size hail pelted Worth County northeast of Northwood. A short time later a second cell dropped dime-size hail on the area. The storms advanced southeast producing hail and gusty winds. Most of the activity was just below severe limits. When the storms reached Clayton County, dime size hail was reported in Luana. Meanwhile, in Garnavillo high winds were a problem. Several trees and numerous power lines were downed in the city as the gust front passed. In addition to the first cluster of storms that slid southeast, a line of thunderstorms formed quickly on its heels ahead of the trough/windshift line. These storms quickly became severe in the unstable air mass and joined with the aforementioned cluster of storms. Once the storms became severe, they produced considerable damage. Hail up to baseball-size, very high winds, and tornadoes resulted. There were several small tornadoes and one gustnado produced by the line. Of the more significant tornadoes, one tracked across Buchanan and Delaware Counties and caused damage to many out buildings. The tornado struck a few farmsteads directly and damaged many others. Considerable damage was reported along its path. One house was destroyed, two others sustained about $25 thousand damage each, five others sustained about $20 thousand damage, and a mobile home was destroyed worth $10 thousand. A grain elevator was struck near Lamont with damage placed to it at $500 thousand. A total of 19 farmsteads sustained damage in the county. Crop damage by the tornado was also severe with damage described as if "someone went through the fields with a Weedeater". Two head of cattle were killed near Lamont when the barn they were in collapsed. Another tornado that was on the ground for a significant length of time tracked across Clinton County. Other significant tornadoes struck Scott and Muscatine Counties. Straight line winds caused considerable damage in Delaware County. There were numerous reports of livestock killed or injured by fallen barns. Three hogs were crushed on a farm near Hopkinton for example. Damage from straight line winds alone in the county were placed near two and one half million dollars. Damage was very extensive around the Hopkinton area with many farmsteads affected and some nearly wiped out. Estimates from the entire Quad Cities metro area range to around $5 million. There was also considerable damage in Jones County from high winds. Wind gusts of at least 85 MPH destroyed 24 mobile homes and three permanent homes in Monticello. There was also damage reported to several other houses and businesses in the area. Other wind damage in the Monticello area included three silos destroyed, two large barns downed, two machine sheds, a corn crib, and six open sheds. Three head of cattle were killed as one of the barns collapsed on them. In another incident, a horse stable was blown down by the winds. One horse was killed as the stable toppled down on it. Also, in Monticello, a man was injured as high winds downed a tree on top of his car. Reports indicated the total property damage in the Monticello area were at least $1.8 million and were expected to top the $2 million mark. Estimates of crop damage due to the wind totaled close to $1 million across Jones County. Cedar County, winds of 90 to 95 MPH in close proximity to a tornado in the area destroyed one house and several buildings north of Atalissa. The tornado itself hit one farmstead north of the Atalissa area. Reports indicated food was sucked out of the refrigerator and boards were taken out of loaded grain wagons. When the house was hit, a letter from the attic was picked up shortly before 1900CST. The letter was retrieved at 1940CST; 40 miles from its original location in the Quad Cities. There were numerous reports of small rope tornadoes around the Lowden area. Two are included in this report. The tornado northwest of town touched down briefly in an open field. There were actually three separate touchdowns from one parent cloud within a period of several minutes. A local network of spotters in the county observed 24 funnel clouds. In addition to the tornadoes and winds, hail was a major problem. There were numerous reports of one to two-inch diameter hail. There were also several reports of baseball-size hail. In Clinton County, Grand Mound and DeWitt were pelted with baseball-size hail causing considerable damage. The airport at Clinton sustained damage by baseball-size hail as well. In Calamus, baseball-size hail fell on the city. The hail in combination with the wind damaged cars, knocking out windows. Windows were also knocked out of several buildings in the city. Hail also caused considerable crop damage in east central Iowa. Five thousand acres of corn and soybeans were totally destroyed, 10,000 acres slightly damaged, 50 hogs killed, and 10 head of cattle killed in a three county area. The Governor declared Buchanan, Delaware, and Jones Counties disaster areas. Damage and losses totaled into the millions. Earlier in the afternoon, lightning struck a barn in Winneshiek County near Castalia. The barn was a total loss as it burned to the ground. | |||||||||||
| 42.5 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°31'N / 91°46'W | 41°33'N / 91°33'W | 13.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnson |
| 42.7 | 1965-08-26 | 2 | 42°32'N / 90°58'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubuque | |
| 42.8 | 1961-09-02 | 2 | 42°39'N / 92°07'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Howard | |
| 43.7 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 41°30'N / 91°42'W | 41°32'N / 91°36'W | 6.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnson |
| 43.8 | 1984-06-07 | 4 | 41°31'N / 91°57'W | 41°35'N / 91°51'W | 7.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Iowa |
| 43.8 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°31'N / 92°19'W | 41°42'N / 91°49'W | 28.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Iowa |
| 44.0 | 1975-11-09 | 2 | 41°54'N / 90°53'W | 42°02'N / 90°43'W | 12.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Clinton |
| 44.0 | 2000-05-11 | 3 | 42°31'N / 92°27'W | 42°36'N / 92°07'W | 18.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 25 | 1.8M | 10K | Black Hawk |
| Brief Description: Multi-vortex, regerative tornado F72PH The seasons first tornado outbreak took place during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 11th. During the day, very strong warm air advection took place. Temperatures warmed rapidly during the day with highs reaching the mid to upper 90s over about the southwest half of the state. Dew point temperatures were in the upper 60s to low 70s. This combination produced CAPE values in excess of 8000 J/kg. During the afternoon, a strong cap was in place with 700 mb temperatures around +16 C. This prevented convection from firing during the afternoon. Toward evening, thunderstorms broke through the cap over northeast Iowa. The storms went from initial echo to tornadic storms in less than 50 minutes. A supercell formed west of the Waterloo area. This cell became a splitting cell and produced a brief tornado in Grundy County as the right moving cell split off, and golf ball size hail in Bremer County from the left moving cell. The cell moved off quickly, however additional supercells back developed over the same area. the strongest tornado developed in the Cedar Falls area and tracked across the northern portions of Waterloo. This cell produced a strong tornado which was actually a multi-vortex tornado based on reports from storm chasers in the area. At one point, west of Dunkerton, three tornadoes each one quarter mile wide were on the ground with this storm. The tornado damaged several houses and a few farmsteads along the way. Reports indicated between 5 and 10 houses in Black Hawk County were totally destroyed, and another 15 to 20 sustained significant damage. A total of at least 41 structures sustained at least some damage. In addition to the tornado, damage also occurred south of the track as RFD winds estimated as high as 100 MPH were observed. Dunkerton was hard hit as the tornado moved through. Heavy damage was reported at a coop elevator in Dunkerton, with 10 of 16 grain elevators damaged. A roof was removed from a church as well, resulting in about $500,000 damage. The City Hall building was destroyed in Dunkerton. The City Hall was housed in a series of double wide trailers since ironically the former City Hall building was destroyed just last year in the floods of '99. As the tornado moved through the fairly densely populated area, numerous injuries were reported. Some of the injuries were severe with limbs being cut off by flying debris. One woman lost both one arm and one hand, and had her back broken. She passed away 17 days after her injuries occurred. Six of the injuries occurred at a nursing home that was hit by the tornado. They occurred as the 139 residents were being evacuated. Reports indicated the width of the tornado was up to three-quarters of a mile at its widest. The damage path from the storm was around one and one half miles wide. The tornado continued moving east and crossed into Buchanan County, about 4 miles northeast of Dunkerton. A short time later, another cell developed in the Dunkerton area and dropped a tornado. That tornado struck a farm northwest of town, destroying the farm house and seven outbuildings. In addition to the damage that occurred to the structures, the family dog and one of the five horses on the farm were killed. Reports indicate a letter from one of the farm houses destroyed was found 60 miles away from Dunkerton in the town of Monona in Clayton County. Polly Mill's rural Dunkerton farmhouse was shredded by the tornado. She lost some of her late husband's military medals, pages out of the family Bible, and part of her collection of letters and first-issue stamps. Sixty miles away, on a farm east of Monona, the letter was found in an envelope carrying a first-day issue, 5-cent stamp commemorating the Battle of New Orleans. There was yet a third round of tornadic storms in the Dunkerton area. The last tornado touched down near Dunkerton and developed southward. Two houses in the town of Dunkerton were destroyed by this tornado. In addition to the tornadoes, very heavy rain fell in a narrow area of Black Hawk County. Reports of 3 inches or more of rain was received from the area. Soil conditions were very dry at the time. The dry soil conditions helped preclude any significant flooding. By the afternoon of the 12th, Iowa Governor Vilsack had declared Black Hawk County a state disaster area. | |||||||||||
| 44.3 | 1968-05-15 | 5 | 42°40'N / 91°56'W | 42°51'N / 91°51'W | 13.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 5 | 156 | 25.0M | 0 | Fayette |
| 44.6 | 1991-04-27 | 2 | 41°42'N / 92°18'W | 41°44'N / 92°14'W | 4.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Iowa |
| 44.9 | 1991-03-22 | 2 | 41°53'N / 90°51'W | 41°58'N / 90°45'W | 7.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Clinton |
| 45.1 | 1958-07-14 | 2 | 42°12'N / 92°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tama | |||
| 45.5 | 1961-06-07 | 2 | 41°42'N / 90°58'W | 41°46'N / 90°54'W | 5.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Cedar |
| 45.7 | 1971-05-31 | 2 | 42°24'N / 92°27'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Black Hawk | |
| 46.3 | 1953-05-10 | 2 | 41°53'N / 92°27'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tama | |||
| 46.4 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 41°28'N / 91°48'W | 41°30'N / 91°42'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Washington |
| 46.5 | 2008-05-25 | 2 | 42°34'N / 92°33'W | 42°37'N / 92°04'W | 24.00 Miles | 2100 Yards | 0 | 20 | 25.0M | 155K | Black Hawk |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Tornado moved in from Butler County and became very broad as it headed toward Fairbank. Tornado lifted on the Buchanan County border. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A very intense upper low was located over the southwest U.S. and lifted northeast during the weekend of the 24th into the morning of the 26th. The seasons first strong push of deep moisture moved into Iowa on the 25th with surface temperatures warming into the mid 80s and dew points surging into the upper 60s to low 70s. Precipitable water values were near 1.5 inches. The dry slot pushed north across the area the previous night as the warm front lifted north. The primary surface low was located over northern Minnesota. A cold front extended south from the low into northwest Iowa. The airmass became very unstable by the mid afternoon hours. MUCAPE rose to between 4000 and 5000 J/kg. Lifted indices fell to -8 to -11 C. There was a considerable amount of both DCAPE at 1000-1500 J/kg and cape in the -10 to-30 C. layer of the atmoshpere, between 400 and 600 J/kg. The freezing level was around 13,200 feet. The environment was quite sheared with effective shear in the 40 to 50 kt range. LCL values were between 1000 and 1500 meters. The airmass was initially capped. During the late afternoon hours, a small cluster of thunderstorms formed over north central into northeast Iowa. The storms became severe very quickly. Initially, the storms dropped hail up to golf ball in size. One became a strong super cell and produced a major tornado. This cell, in addition to being tornadic, also produced hail of baseball to softball in size and winds in excess of 90 MPH. The tornado track was from approximately 2 miles south of Aplington to Parkersburg, then continued to New Hartford and across northern Black Hawk County. The average path width ranged from 0.6 to 0.7 miles near Parkersburg to just north of New Hartford. The path constricted to near one quarter mile wide east of New Hartford to north of Waterloo. The width then increased to near 1.2 miles wide north of Dunkerton before dissipating near the Black Hawk and Buchanan County line. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 43 miles. In addition to the main tornado, a satellite tornado was observed by storm chasers and one off duty NWS employee. It was located south of the main tornado and was on the ground for a little over a mile in Grundy County. Initial reports indicated 9 fatalities with 7 in Parkersburg (pop 1889) and 2 in New Hartford (pop 637). There were at least 50 injuries, with 4 of those in critical condition. Two of the fatalities occurred a few days after the tornado from injuries sustained in the tornado. The last fatality occurred on 7 Nov. A 61 year old female sustained injuries in the stairwell of her home when a 2 x 4 was thrown through her right side lung. She was hospitalized and died several months later of complications. Significant structural damage occurred across the southern end of Parkersburg and along a path to just north of New Hartford. Numerous structures completely destroyed from Parkersburg to near New Hartford. The tornado continued eastward to just north of the Waterloo and Cedar Falls area. Significant damage also occurred north of Dunkerton where the tornado increased to its greatest path width. This storm also produced substantial straight line wind damage along the southern periphery of the storm just south of the tornado track. News accounts indicated that a receipt from Parkersburg was found around 1915 CST 3 miles north of Prairie du Chien, WI, 109 miles to the northeast. Receipits were also found in Clayton County at Elkader, and full scrapbook pages and photos were found in far northeast Bremer County at Sumner. Preliminary estimates that straight line winds of 90 to 100 MPH occurred with this storm. At 1637 CST, the Waterloo Airport recorded a 93 MPH wind gust. Survey results suggest that straight line wind damage was the cause of the severe damage at the recreational vehicle dealership north of Cedar Falls. At least 627 homes were damaged, including 288 homes destroyed in Parkersburg, 88 in New Hartford, 15 in Hazelton and another 50 in Black Hawk County. In addition, 58 had major damage, 33 had moderate damage, 2 were inaccessible, and 93 damaged but able to be occupied. There were also 21 businesses destroyed. Governor Chet Culver declared both Butler and Black Hawk disaster areas with both given the State Declaration. A Federal Disaster Declaration occurred two days later for both Butler and Black Hawk Counties. The tornado was rated a low end EF5 by a Quick Response Team (QRT) in portions of Parkersburg and north of New Hartford with peak winds estimated at 205 MPH. For historical reference, the last F5 tornado to hit Iowa was on 13 June 1976 in Boone and Story Counties in the town of Jordan, with a 21 mile path length. The last F4 tornado to hit Iowa was in Union, Madison, and Dallas Counties with a 56 mile path length on 8 April 1999. There was one other smaller tornado during the evening. A tornado touched down in Clarke County and was on the ground for a short time southeast of Osceola. After the initial thunderstorm area developed over north central and northeast Iowa, a large complex developed over southeast Nebraska. The two areas of storms filled in to form a squall line by the mid evening hours. The complex over Nebraska then pushed east and northeast along the squall line. A considerable amount of severe weather was generated during the evening as this occurred. Along the squall line, high winds and hail were common with the dominant mode of severe weather being hail of up to golf ball in size. As the MCS out of Nebraska advanced east, a tail extending south from the centroid took on a bow echo configuration and raced east across Iowa at 65 MPH. Very high winds occurred with this feature with numerous locations reporting winds of 65 to 85 MPH. Some of the higher winds included an 85 MPH wind gust in the Winterset area and numerous reports of 75 to 85 MPH winds from Madison, Dallas, Warren and Polk Counties. Lightning struck a house in Ankeny. The house was set on fire by the strike. | |||||||||||
| 46.7 | 1966-04-19 | 3 | 41°52'N / 92°42'W | 42°02'N / 92°17'W | 24.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Tama |
| 46.8 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°28'N / 91°55'W | 41°31'N / 91°46'W | 11.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Washington |
| 47.1 | 1967-01-24 | 2 | 41°48'N / 90°50'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clinton | |
| 47.6 | 2008-04-25 | 2 | 41°31'N / 91°15'W | 41°34'N / 91°07'W | 7.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0K | Muscatine |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down 5.2 miles northeast of Nichols and tracked to the northeast before lifting 2 miles west of Moscow. The EF2 tornado was on the ground for 6.5 miles, had maximum winds to 115 mph and was 150 yards wide. There were 5 farmsteads that were hit by the tornado, but no injuries were reported. Siding and shingles of two homes were peeled off. Outbuildings were damaged, a machine shed and grain bin destroyed, and a wooden swingset toppled. Utility poles were snapped or blown down, while several trees were snapped or uprooted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Strong low pressure tracked from western Kansas to western Wisconsin on April 24-25, 2008. A warm front moving across the region brought heavy rain and flash flooding to areas north of I-80. Then an impressive cold front swept across eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. This front triggered severe thunderstorms which produced two tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. | |||||||||||
| 49.2 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 41°28'N / 92°00'W | 41°28'N / 91°48'W | 10.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Keokuk |
* 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.