Frytown, IA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Frytown is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Frytown is about the same as Iowa average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #456
| Frytown, 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
| Frytown, 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, #430
| Frytown, IA | 242.51 |
| 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 3,913 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Frytown, 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: | 29 | Cold: | 49 | Dense Fog: | 17 | Drought: | 16 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 437 | Hail: | 1,022 | Heat: | 17 | Heavy Snow: | 65 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 40 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 76 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,656 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 102 | Winter Weather: | 86 |
| Other: | 301 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Frytown, IA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Frytown, IA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Frytown, IA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 85 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Frytown, IA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.7 | 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 |
| 5.7 | 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 |
| 6.2 | 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 |
| 7.7 | 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 |
| 7.9 | 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 |
| 8.2 | 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 |
| 8.8 | 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 |
| 9.9 | 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 |
| 11.3 | 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 |
| 11.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 12.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 13.9 | 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 |
| 15.0 | 1998-05-15 | 3 | 41°17'N / 91°44'W | 41°28'N / 91°29'W | 18.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 28 | 9.0M | 0 | Washington |
| 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. | |||||||||||
| 15.9 | 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 |
| 16.8 | 1989-04-27 | 2 | 40°44'N / 92°10'W | 41°56'N / 91°25'W | 12.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Van Buren |
| 17.5 | 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 |
| 18.1 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°26'N / 92°10'W | 41°28'N / 91°55'W | 12.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Keokuk |
| 18.9 | 2006-04-02 | 2 | 41°18'N / 91°42'W | 41°18'N / 91°42'W | 1.00 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington |
| Brief Description: Rated F2 A supercell spawned a tornado on the west side of Washington at West Main Street and moved northeast for 1 mile. A garage was competely unroofed and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were snapped along the path and metal sheeting was torn off a business near the end of the path. Near environmental, model, and radar data suggests that if the subcloud layer could have been slighly more unstable, a much stronger tornado would probably have occurred causing significant damage. | |||||||||||
| 19.8 | 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 |
| 21.4 | 1970-05-09 | 2 | 41°18'N / 91°32'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington | |
| 22.0 | 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 |
| 22.0 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°20'N / 91°26'W | 41°23'N / 91°24'W | 7.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Louisa |
| 22.9 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°10'N / 91°49'W | 41°20'N / 91°26'W | 19.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Washington |
| 23.0 | 1975-11-09 | 2 | 41°15'N / 91°37'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Washington | |||
| 24.8 | 1984-06-07 | 4 | 41°25'N / 92°26'W | 41°31'N / 91°57'W | 29.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 1 | 33 | 25.0M | 0 | Keokuk |
| 25.2 | 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 |
| 25.3 | 1959-05-09 | 3 | 41°12'N / 91°59'W | 41°17'N / 91°54'W | 6.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Keokuk |
| 26.1 | 1967-01-24 | 2 | 41°18'N / 91°22'W | 41°21'N / 91°20'W | 3.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Louisa |
| 26.3 | 1974-08-12 | 4 | 41°45'N / 92°11'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Iowa | |
| 26.4 | 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 |
| 26.7 | 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 |
| 27.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 28.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 29.3 | 1965-09-20 | 3 | 41°20'N / 92°12'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Keokuk | |
| 29.3 | 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 |
| 29.4 | 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 |
| 29.6 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 29.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 29.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 30.1 | 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 |
| 30.4 | 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 |
| 31.7 | 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 |
| 32.4 | 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 |
| 32.5 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 41°32'N / 92°24'W | 41°31'N / 92°19'W | 4.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Poweshiek |
| 33.4 | 1954-04-30 | 2 | 40°48'N / 91°25'W | 41°50'N / 90°57'W | 75.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Des Moines |
| 33.7 | 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 |
| 33.7 | 1966-10-14 | 2 | 42°03'N / 91°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Linn | |
| 33.7 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 33.8 | 1970-05-09 | 2 | 41°13'N / 91°17'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Louisa | |
| 34.4 | 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 |
| 34.6 | 1967-01-24 | 2 | 41°12'N / 91°17'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Louisa | |
| 35.8 | 2007-06-01 | 3 | 41°16'N / 91°11'W | 41°19'N / 91°07'W | 6.00 Miles | 774 Yards | 0 | 1 | 1.0M | 0K | Louisa |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down on the southern edge of Grandview. It moved through the center of town intensifying in rural areas as it approached the county line. In Grandview, several homes sustained severe damage. North of Grandview, about 1.5 miles, a farm house was completely destroyed. Other homes and trees along the path sustained damage. The tornado crossed the Louisa-Muscatine county line just south of Fruitland, IA. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A line of thunderstorms pivoted northeast into parts of southeast Iowa during the mid-morning hours of June 1st. Much of the area was just breaking out of a blanket of dense fog where visibilities dropped to less than a quarter mile. Dew point temperatures were in the middle 60s to around 70 degrees. The line of storms appeared to become more broken through the late morning hours, while the area from Iowa City to Waterloo appeared to stratify out into a large area of showers. Just before 12:00 pm CDT, rapid intensification of storm cells on the southeast end of the original line occurred as it moved into northern portions of Louisa County. A tornado touched down just south of Grandview, IA and moved northeast through Fruitland, IA and on to the southwest parts of Muscatine, IA. The tornado then lifted and as the storm cell continued to move northeast across Muscatine County. The super-cell re-intensified as it entered the southeast part of Cedar County just before 1 pm producing a brief tornado near Wilton, IA. The storm then moved across northwest parts of Scott County and Clinton County producing damaging wind gusts and large hail. The super-cell continued northeast into Jackson County producing a tornado near Bellevue around 2:30 pm, which moved across the Mississippi River into Jo Daviess County before lifting. The storm produced yet another tornado just south of Scales Mound, IL around 3:15 pm before moving into southwest Wisconsin and dissipating. During the early afternoon hours, additional storms strengthened on the south end of the original line of storms, which went on to produce wind damage and large hail as they moved through northwest Illinois through the late afternoon hours. | |||||||||||
| 36.8 | 2007-06-01 | 3 | 41°19'N / 91°07'W | 41°27'N / 91°01'W | 10.00 Miles | 774 Yards | 0 | 6 | 15.0M | 0K | Muscatine |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado entered into Muscatine County from Louisa County just south of Fruitland, IA. It progressed to the northeast through the center of Fruitland destroying the post office and city hall building, numerous homes, and overturning some railroad cars. The tornado weakened as it approached the southwest portions of Muscatine. In Muscatine, the western sections of town had varying degrees of damage, which was mainly confined to roof damage. At a car dealership, some cars were displaced. The tornado eventually lifted on the northeast side of Muscatine near the junction of highways 22 and 61. Debris from Muscatine and Fruitland fell in Lowden, IA. Some personal papers were found 1 to 4 miles northwest of Lowden. Lowden is approximately 30 miles NNE of Muscatine. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A line of thunderstorms pivoted northeast into parts of southeast Iowa during the mid-morning hours of June 1st. Much of the area was just breaking out of a blanket of dense fog where visibilities dropped to less than a quarter mile. Dew point temperatures were in the middle 60s to around 70 degrees. The line of storms appeared to become more broken through the late morning hours, while the area from Iowa City to Waterloo appeared to stratify out into a large area of showers. Just before 12:00 pm CDT, rapid intensification of storm cells on the southeast end of the original line occurred as it moved into northern portions of Louisa County. A tornado touched down just south of Grandview, IA and moved northeast through Fruitland, IA and on to the southwest parts of Muscatine, IA. The tornado then lifted and as the storm cell continued to move northeast across Muscatine County. The super-cell re-intensified as it entered the southeast part of Cedar County just before 1 pm producing a brief tornado near Wilton, IA. The storm then moved across northwest parts of Scott County and Clinton County producing damaging wind gusts and large hail. The super-cell continued northeast into Jackson County producing a tornado near Bellevue around 2:30 pm, which moved across the Mississippi River into Jo Daviess County before lifting. The storm produced yet another tornado just south of Scales Mound, IL around 3:15 pm before moving into southwest Wisconsin and dissipating. During the early afternoon hours, additional storms strengthened on the south end of the original line of storms, which went on to produce wind damage and large hail as they moved through northwest Illinois through the late afternoon hours. | |||||||||||
| 37.8 | 1959-05-09 | 3 | 40°54'N / 91°46'W | 41°09'N / 91°40'W | 17.80 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 38.9 | 1988-05-08 | 2 | 40°55'N / 92°09'W | 41°10'N / 91°49'W | 27.00 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 40.7 | 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 |
| 40.8 | 1967-04-21 | 3 | 41°00'N / 91°56'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jefferson | |||
| 41.0 | 1956-08-18 | 2 | 41°23'N / 92°36'W | 41°28'N / 92°24'W | 11.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mahaska |
| 41.2 | 1954-05-23 | 2 | 42°10'N / 91°40'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Linn | |||
| 41.4 | 1978-06-26 | 2 | 41°35'N / 92°32'W | 0.70 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Poweshiek | |
| 41.5 | 1967-04-21 | 2 | 40°53'N / 91°56'W | 41°04'N / 91°21'W | 32.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Van Buren |
| 41.6 | 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 |
| 41.9 | 1977-05-04 | 2 | 40°58'N / 91°33'W | 41°00'N / 91°31'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Henry | ||
| 42.1 | 1957-05-21 | 2 | 41°33'N / 91°00'W | 41°36'N / 90°50'W | 8.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cedar |
| 42.5 | 1982-09-13 | 2 | 40°59'N / 92°11'W | 41°01'N / 91°53'W | 13.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Jefferson |
| 42.6 | 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 |
| 42.7 | 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 |
| 42.8 | 1953-05-10 | 2 | 41°53'N / 92°27'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tama | |||
| 42.9 | 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 |
| 43.1 | 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 |
| 43.6 | 1988-11-15 | 2 | 41°04'N / 92°20'W | 41°08'N / 92°15'W | 6.00 Miles | 63 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wapello |
| 44.6 | 1995-05-09 | 3 | 41°35'N / 90°52'W | 41°43'N / 90°53'W | 10.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 650K | 0 | Muscatine |
| 45.8 | 1975-11-09 | 2 | 40°54'N / 92°06'W | 41°00'N / 91°59'W | 8.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Jefferson |
| 46.6 | 1984-06-07 | 4 | 41°10'N / 92°40'W | 41°25'N / 92°26'W | 14.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 1 | 30 | 25.0M | 0 | Mahaska |
| 46.9 | 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 |
| 47.0 | 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 |
| 47.1 | 1967-05-07 | 2 | 41°32'N / 90°54'W | 41°29'N / 90°45'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Muscatine |
| 47.2 | 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 |
| 47.4 | 1995-05-09 | 3 | 41°32'N / 90°49'W | 7.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0 | Scott | |
| Brief Description: This tornado destroyed 26 farm buildings, 20 of them with major damage. Nine homes were hit, one destroyed, two with major damage and six with minor damage. Seven of the nine homes were farmhouses. Roxanne Paper, with baby boy Logan in arm, was downstairs when the tornado struck. She reported that it sounded like something big was tearing through the house. The Gary Meincke farm was hit very hard. He and his wife watched the tornado touch down south of their farm at around 1630 CDT. Shortly after that they ran with their children to the basement. Debris from the Leroy Feldhahn farm near Stockton was spread over nearby Interstate 80 causing a two mile long traffic jam. Governor Terry Branstad later proclaimed a Disaster Emergency for Scott County. | |||||||||||
| 47.4 | 1969-06-29 | 2 | 41°48'N / 92°36'W | 1.00 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Poweshiek | |
| 47.5 | 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 |
| 47.6 | 1959-05-09 | 3 | 40°52'N / 91°47'W | 40°54'N / 91°46'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Van Buren | ||
| 48.9 | 1967-01-24 | 2 | 41°48'N / 90°50'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clinton | |
| 49.5 | 2001-04-11 | 2 | 40°58'N / 92°23'W | 41°05'N / 92°19'W | 8.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 2 | 3 | 400K | 0 | Wapello |
| Brief Description: Quick moving tornado, touchdown with strongest part in Agency. Nine buildings with major damage, 43 with minor. Two buildings destroyed. Two dead, three injured. F73BU, F61BU A very powerful storm system moved through the southern Rockies during the night of the 10th and early morning of the 11th. Intense surface low pressure formed over western Kansas with a central pressure by sunrise on the 11th of 977 Mb. The weather situation was very dynamic with 500 Mb winds over 100 kts and a very sharp dry punch clearly visible on the satellite pictures. During the day the warm front that extended east from the low reached into southern Iowa, then extended eastward. There were two things that occurred during the day. The first was a very strong supercell that formed over northern Missouri during the morning. This storm lifted north-northeast at about 50 kts into Iowa, producing a long track tornado with a path extending nearly all the way to Des Moines. During the afternoon the warm front surged north with the northeast progression of the surface dry line. Dew points rose into the mid 60s to the south of the warm front across much of the southeast half to two thirds of Iowa. Surface temperatures in these areas reached the 60s north, with 70s south. With the atmosphere primed, the dry line began to move into Iowa. Dew point temperatures behind the dry line were in the 30s with southwest winds of 30 to 50 MPH. A broken squall line formed on the nose of the dry punch and became severe quickly. The storm cells themselves were not all that large, but nearly every cell along the line did carry a mesoscale circulation. There were several tornado touchdowns as the line lifted north as well. The primary severe weather during this even was the tornadic nature of it. There were reports of wind and hail, but everything considered these reports were pretty scattered. There were very few reports of wind and hail with the first supercell as it lifted north out of Missouri. One inch diameter hail was reported in Ringgold County east of Redding. Reports of winds and hail were more frequent with the second line of thunderstorms. There were numerous reports of hail up to marble size with this line, however there were not all that many reports of hail larger than that. A few reports of three quarter to one inch diameter hail were received from Marion and Polk Counties. The most significant hail occurred in northeast Iowa in Butler County. Golf ball size hail fell in the town of Parkersburg as the line passed over the city. There were more reports of wind with the second round. Nearly all locations reported winds of at least 50 MPH as the line passed overhead. Scattered reports of winds of 70 to 85 MPH were received. Wind damage occurred in Boone County as high winds downed power lines and downed outbuildings north of Ogden. The greatest wind damage occurred over northeast Iowa in Black Hawk and Franklin Counties. A building was blown off of its foundation and onto an adjacent road southwest of Hampton in Franklin County. A roof of a barn was damaged and a grain wagon was tipped over northwest of Hampton. Roof and house damage was reported over parts of Black Hawk County as well. Five injuries occurred in Warren County at Carlisle when winds of around 65 MPH toppled a school bus. Twenty one children were on board the bus when it overturned with 5 treated for minor injuries. Spotty damage was reported around the greater Des Moines metropolitan area. Several tornadoes occurred with this system. The most significant tornado entered southern Iowa around mid day. This tornado reached minimal F3 intensity just east of Mt. Ayr (Ringgold County). Property damage is estimated at over $500,000 in Ringgold county alone. Across the Des Moines area of responsibility, at least 15 homes were destroyed, and 60 residences were damaged as around a dozen tornadoes touched down. A supercell thunderstorm moved north from Missouri into southern Iowa late in the morning of April 11. The storm produced a tornado in northern Missouri and crossed into Iowa in Ringgold County. The storm, and tornado, moved north through Ringgold County with a continuous damage path half way through the county. The damage path continued north through northern Ringgold County, southeast Union County and into northwest Clarke County. In this area, the path was not continuous. Based on damage reports, the tornado continued to produce occasional damage in Madison County. Chaser reports indicate the tornado had a multi-vortex structure as it moved through Ringgold and Union Counties. The last reported sighting was in northern Polk County where a brief touchdown was reported with no damage. The storm likely produced one tornado from the Missouri border to Madison County with an intermittent damage track. Damage in Ringgold County was severe with initial estimates around $1 million. The county was later declared a federal disaster area by President Bush. A second tornado briefly touched down in northern Polk County. The touchdown in Polk County was indeed a separate tornado. Even though the tornado was from the same parent cell, the system had occluded and was in the process of forming a new tornado as it passed over the western part of the Des Moines area. Reports from this tornado indicate that at least 9 homes were damaged or destroyed, one business destroyed, and a school building damaged. In addition to losses to homes, one farmstead was hit with considerable damage and some livestock damage. A series of tornadoes formed on the heels of the supercell tornado as the dry line pushed into the state. Most of these were brief touchdowns, however the storms were moving around 60 MPH. Three tornadoes touched down in Boone County. The most significant tornado touched down north of Ogden. It produced a 3 mile long track up to 1/8 mile wide. Farm site hit along highway P70. Barn and grain bins destroyed, knocking out windows in house. Otherwise only minor damage to house. Debris scattered 1 mile to next farm site where there was minor damage to many buildings. Track continued north-northeast across highway E26 into the campground at Don Williams Lake. A storage building was destroyed, several trees downed, plus outhouses, picnic tables and signs were damaged. The damage track dissipated on the northeast side of the Don Williams Recreation Area. There were several brief touchdowns with relatively minor damage in Guthrie, Greene, and Hamilton Counties. A stronger tornado touched down in southeast Black Hawk County, causing significant damage to two homes in the La Porte City area. The most serious tornado in terms of loss of life occurred in Wapello County. A tornado developed in rural southern Wapello County, a mile southwest of Agency, Iowa, around 1600 CDT, on Wednesday, April 11. The tornado path was 50 to 100 yards wide with sporadic touchdowns toward the north-northeast for the next 6 miles. Survey responses indicated that the duration of impact at any one location was only 15 to 30 seconds as the tornado quickly moved through Agency and over farms at a 60 mph horizontal movement. The Odd Fellows Lodge in Agency was destroyed, and over 50 residences were damaged. Two women inside were killed, three people injured and three people had no injuries. As the storm moved through Agency, a garage was lifted and carried about 100 meters off of its foundation. The car inside was twisted and covered with debris. In another incident, one house was hit by the tornado causing damage to the house. The family dog was in the dog pen at the time. The tornado lifted the pen and twirled it through the air. The dog pen was deposited some distance downstream and what was truly amazing was the fact that the dog was uninjured. Following the tornado, U.S. Highway 34 was closed for 2 hours in order to removed debris from the highway. Governor Tom Vilsack visited the area during a storm survey. The governor spoke with Brenda Brock of the National Weather Service, Ellen Gordon, Administrator, Iowa Emergency Management Division, emergency management personnel (fire department, law enforcement, mayor) and the public. A proclamation for emergency disaster assistance was signed. | |||||||||||
| 49.7 | 1974-05-13 | 2 | 41°00'N / 91°09'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Des Moines | |
* 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.