Howard County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Iowa Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Howard County is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Howard County is lower than Iowa average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #51
| Howard County | 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
| Howard County | 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, #53
| Howard County | 223.67 |
| 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 13,163 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Howard County 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: | 84 | Cold: | 151 | Dense Fog: | 77 | Drought: | 32 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,284 | Hail: | 4,696 | Heat: | 62 | Heavy Snow: | 197 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 61 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 180 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 5,016 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 7 | Winter Storm: | 398 | Winter Weather: | 124 |
| Other: | 794 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Howard County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Howard County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Howard County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 79 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Howard County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.9 | 1965-05-05 | 4 | 43°23'N / 92°33'W | 43°23'N / 92°09'W | 19.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Howard |
| 3.8 | 1953-05-20 | 3 | 43°12'N / 92°24'W | 43°26'N / 92°19'W | 16.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Chickasaw |
| 4.6 | 1968-05-15 | 5 | 43°13'N / 92°29'W | 43°28'N / 92°20'W | 18.60 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 12 | 3K | 0 | Howard |
| 7.5 | 1994-07-19 | 2 | 43°15'N / 92°26'W | 43°16'N / 92°15'W | 8.50 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 5K | Howard |
| 8.3 | 1953-05-10 | 4 | 43°27'N / 92°24'W | 43°30'N / 92°23'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Howard |
| 9.9 | 1968-05-15 | 2 | 43°20'N / 92°11'W | 43°17'N / 92°06'W | 4.70 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Howard |
| 10.6 | 1965-05-05 | 4 | 43°23'N / 92°09'W | 43°25'N / 92°05'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Howard |
| 10.8 | 1971-07-12 | 4 | 43°14'N / 92°27'W | 43°13'N / 92°23'W | 2.30 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Howard |
| 12.9 | 1965-09-09 | 2 | 43°23'N / 92°04'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Howard | |
| 13.4 | 2004-06-11 | 3 | 43°24'N / 92°33'W | 43°32'N / 92°33'W | 8.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 190K | 30K | Howard |
| Brief Description: A small but intense supercell thunderstorm produced three tornadoes in northeast Iowa. The first tornado touched down about 4 miles southeast of New Haven (Mitchell County), south of 320th Street and between Walnut and Windfall Avenue. It tracked north, primarily in open fields, and lifted between 350th and 360th Street east of New Haven, or just west of Windfall Avenue. The tornado was rated an F1. The second tornado touched down just east of the Mitchell-Howard County line, about 4 miles south of Riceville (Howard County), and also moved straight north. It downed a few trees, but primarily crossed open fields until it reached the southeast side of Riceville. It damaged a few sheds and buildings in Riceville, with mainly tin roofing material and siding blown off. The tornado lifted in Riceville and was rated an F0. The third and most significant tornado formed about 2 miles north of Riceville, again just east of the Mitchell-Howard County line. The tornado tracked north, just east of the county line or Addison Avenue. It grew in strength and at one point was approximately 150 yards wide, hitting several homes and farms (F2 damage). One home lost the roof and all buildings. The tornado was so close to the county line that debris was thrown across Addison Avenue into Mitchell County at times. The dirt and young crops were scoured by the tornado. The tornado crossed into Minnesota just southwest of Le Roy (Mower County), hitting a home directly on the state line. The home, which was built in1900, and several buildings on the lot, were completely demolished (F3 damage). | |||||||||||
| 14.0 | 1965-05-05 | 4 | 43°25'N / 92°05'W | 43°27'N / 92°02'W | 2.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Winneshiek |
| 15.5 | 1968-05-15 | 5 | 43°10'N / 92°33'W | 43°13'N / 92°29'W | 4.10 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Chickasaw |
| 15.5 | 1971-07-12 | 4 | 43°13'N / 92°23'W | 43°05'N / 92°05'W | 17.50 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Chickasaw |
| 15.7 | 1965-05-05 | 4 | 43°23'N / 92°43'W | 43°23'N / 92°33'W | 7.90 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Floyd |
| 16.2 | 2004-06-11 | 3 | 43°30'N / 92°33'W | 43°33'N / 92°34'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 20K | Mower |
| Brief Description: A tornado crossed the Minnesota-Iowa state line just southwest of Le Roy (Mower County) causing considerable damage. One home right on the state line was completely destroyed, but there were no injuries or deaths. The tornado was approximately 150 yards wide at times and apparently reached F3 damage intensity right on the state line around 6:05 p.m. The tornado then started to weaken, but did heavy damage to a grain company (Koch Industries)(F2 damage) about 2 miles west of Le Roy and continued north, crossing Highway 56 just before 6:10 p.m. The tornado lifted approximately 4 miles northwest of Le Roy in open fields. There were also brief tornado touch downs (all rated F0) near Dexter (Mower County) and Le Roy, as well as areas along the Mower-Fillmore County line west of Spring Valley (Fillmore County). | |||||||||||
| 16.8 | 1967-03-30 | 2 | 43°11'N / 92°06'W | 43°14'N / 92°02'W | 4.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Howard |
| 20.9 | 1993-08-09 | 2 | 43°04'N / 92°27'W | 43°04'N / 92°20'W | 5.00 Miles | 55 Yards | 0 | 2 | 500K | 50K | Chickasaw |
| 21.0 | 1986-09-28 | 2 | 43°09'N / 92°37'W | 0.20 Mile | 23 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Floyd | |
| 21.3 | 1965-05-05 | 2 | 43°30'N / 92°36'W | 43°48'N / 92°22'W | 23.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mower |
| 21.5 | 1953-05-10 | 4 | 43°30'N / 92°23'W | 43°51'N / 92°10'W | 26.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Fillmore |
| 22.1 | 1956-07-17 | 2 | 43°04'N / 92°16'W | 43°02'N / 92°13'W | 2.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Chickasaw |
| 22.4 | 1965-05-05 | 4 | 43°17'N / 92°49'W | 43°23'N / 92°43'W | 8.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Floyd |
| 22.6 | 1988-03-24 | 2 | 43°07'N / 92°02'W | 43°11'N / 91°56'W | 7.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Winneshiek |
| 23.8 | 1988-03-24 | 2 | 43°04'N / 92°02'W | 43°07'N / 92°02'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fayette |
| 24.0 | 1965-08-25 | 2 | 43°19'N / 91°59'W | 43°10'N / 91°46'W | 14.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Winneshiek |
| 24.2 | 1994-07-07 | 2 | 42°58'N / 92°29'W | 43°04'N / 92°16'W | 9.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 5K | Chickasaw |
| 24.5 | 1995-07-27 | 2 | 43°34'N / 92°44'W | 43°36'N / 92°41'W | 3.50 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0M | Mower |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down in Adams and moved northeast touching down several times. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed. Many trees uprooted. A church in Adams lost its steeple and bell tower. | |||||||||||
| 24.7 | 1954-05-23 | 2 | 43°17'N / 92°48'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Mitchell | |||
| 25.2 | 1971-07-12 | 4 | 43°03'N / 92°03'W | 43°04'N / 92°03'W | 1.10 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Fayette |
| 26.4 | 1964-08-27 | 2 | 43°06'N / 92°42'W | 1.00 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Floyd | |
| 27.3 | 1977-07-14 | 2 | 43°42'N / 92°16'W | 43°48'N / 92°08'W | 9.20 Miles | 1500 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Fillmore |
| 27.3 | 1965-05-05 | 3 | 43°30'N / 92°01'W | 43°41'N / 91°44'W | 18.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Fillmore |
| 28.4 | 1981-05-23 | 2 | 43°16'N / 92°55'W | 43°18'N / 92°50'W | 3.80 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mitchell |
| 29.0 | 1966-06-11 | 2 | 43°23'N / 92°54'W | 1.00 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mitchell | |
| 29.5 | 1971-07-12 | 3 | 43°20'N / 93°02'W | 43°28'N / 92°47'W | 15.40 Miles | 833 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Worth |
| 30.3 | 1968-05-15 | 5 | 42°54'N / 92°53'W | 43°10'N / 92°33'W | 24.70 Miles | 600 Yards | 13 | 450 | 25.0M | 0 | Floyd |
| 31.6 | 1973-06-04 | 2 | 43°09'N / 91°46'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Winneshiek | |
| 32.7 | 1971-06-24 | 3 | 43°04'N / 91°49'W | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fayette | |||
| 33.6 | 1987-07-29 | 2 | 43°16'N / 91°43'W | 43°13'N / 91°38'W | 3.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Winneshiek |
| 34.6 | 1967-04-30 | 2 | 43°38'N / 92°56'W | 43°40'N / 92°51'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Mower |
| 34.8 | 1962-09-16 | 2 | 43°51'N / 92°25'W | 43°53'N / 92°21'W | 3.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Olmsted |
| 34.8 | 1966-04-19 | 2 | 42°51'N / 92°07'W | 42°55'N / 92°07'W | 4.60 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bremer |
| 35.1 | 1961-09-01 | 4 | 42°52'N / 92°33'W | 42°53'N / 92°28'W | 3.30 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Bremer |
| 35.7 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°51'N / 92°32'W | 42°53'N / 92°29'W | 2.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bremer |
| 36.4 | 1984-06-07 | 2 | 43°38'N / 92°59'W | 43°39'N / 92°54'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Mower |
| 36.7 | 1962-05-22 | 2 | 43°53'N / 92°29'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Olmsted | |
| 37.4 | 1967-04-30 | 4 | 43°18'N / 93°10'W | 43°26'N / 92°58'W | 13.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Worth |
| 37.7 | 1961-08-04 | 2 | 43°40'N / 92°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Mower | |
| 38.4 | 2009-06-17 | 2 | 43°43'N / 93°01'W | 43°38'N / 92°54'W | 10.00 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 30K | Mower |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado caused damage on the north and northeast side of the city of Austin. Specific reports included minor tree damage, as well as debris blown into fences and bent poles on the northwest side of Austin. Several power poles were snapped off or bent along Highway 218 on the north side of the city. Several metal work buildings were heavily damaged along 243rd St, along with numerous trees and some minor roof damage to nearby homes. Large debris, such as metal dumpsters, were tossed large distances. There was straight-line wind damage noted south of the tornado path, or along Highway 218 and 4th St NW. Several homes had minor damage, with numerous trees blown over or sheared off along 236th and 237th Street directly north of downtown Austin. There was considerable damage done in Todd Park, including athletic equipment, small buildings and hundreds of trees toppled and uprooted. The north side of the park, including the northern softball fields had the most damage. There was also considerable tree damage along 21st St NE or 555th Ave, which continued into the Austin Country Club. Minor damage was noted about a half mile east of the Austin airport and about 2 miles southeast of the airport. One minor injury was reported when a man sustained scrapes and bruises when he took shelter in a shed that rolled over twice. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Severe thunderstorms were triggered along a warm front during the evening of June 17. One of the storms produced two known tornadoes, one that initially touched down near the Dodge and Mower County line, northwest of the city of Austin. The tornado then moved through far north sections of Austin to areas about 3 miles east of Austin. The worst tornado damage was considered EF2 about 3 miles north of downtown near the intersection of 243rd and 4th street northwest. The bulk of the remaining damage was considered EF0 and EF1. The tornado was on the ground from approximately 8:00 p.m. until 8:23 p.m. Path length was about 10 miles long and had a maximum width of 120 yards. Another small tornado touched down southeast of this track in open country in rural Mower County. | |||||||||||
| 38.4 | 1981-04-10 | 2 | 42°50'N / 92°06'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Bremer | |
| 38.5 | 1970-09-09 | 2 | 42°54'N / 92°48'W | 42°56'N / 92°45'W | 1.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Butler |
| 38.8 | 1971-07-12 | 2 | 42°50'N / 92°06'W | 42°50'N / 92°03'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bremer | ||
| 39.1 | 1971-07-12 | 2 | 42°53'N / 92°03'W | 42°49'N / 91°57'W | 6.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 39.5 | 1953-05-20 | 3 | 42°33'N / 93°03'W | 43°12'N / 92°24'W | 55.60 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Hardin |
| 39.6 | 1987-07-29 | 2 | 43°13'N / 91°38'W | 43°14'N / 91°29'W | 7.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Allamakee |
| 39.6 | 1977-07-16 | 2 | 42°48'N / 92°29'W | 42°48'N / 92°26'W | 1.90 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bremer |
| 39.9 | 1953-05-10 | 4 | 43°51'N / 92°10'W | 44°00'N / 92°05'W | 10.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Olmsted |
| 39.9 | 1971-06-06 | 2 | 42°52'N / 92°47'W | 42°54'N / 92°44'W | 1.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
| 40.6 | 1979-07-03 | 2 | 43°57'N / 92°24'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Olmsted | |
| 40.8 | 1975-06-04 | 2 | 42°51'N / 92°43'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Butler | |||
| 41.1 | 1967-04-30 | 3 | 43°20'N / 93°12'W | 43°34'N / 93°04'W | 17.20 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Worth |
| 41.5 | 1967-04-30 | 4 | 43°30'N / 93°07'W | 43°34'N / 93°07'W | 4.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Freeborn |
| 41.5 | 1967-04-30 | 2 | 43°56'N / 92°21'W | 44°00'N / 92°14'W | 6.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Olmsted |
| 41.8 | 1967-04-30 | 4 | 43°27'N / 93°10'W | 43°30'N / 93°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Worth |
| 42.0 | 1962-09-16 | 4 | 43°58'N / 92°27'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 34 | 250K | 0 | Olmsted | |
| 42.7 | 1964-04-13 | 2 | 43°57'N / 92°28'W | 44°00'N / 92°28'W | 3.40 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Olmsted |
| 42.8 | 1974-05-28 | 3 | 43°20'N / 93°13'W | 43°22'N / 93°08'W | 3.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Worth |
| 43.5 | 2001-05-01 | 2 | 43°39'N / 93°08'W | 43°40'N / 93°03'W | 5.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Freeborn |
| Brief Description: Shortly after the Glenville tornado dissipated, another tornado formed 4 miles southwest of Oakland and dissipated about 1/2 mile before it would have crossed Interstate 90, which law enforcement had barricaded. Major damage to 3 farmsteads, minor damage to 8 others per damage survey. | |||||||||||
| 43.7 | 1961-09-01 | 4 | 42°47'N / 93°00'W | 42°52'N / 92°33'W | 23.30 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Butler |
| 43.9 | 2001-09-06 | 2 | 42°42'N / 92°34'W | 42°47'N / 92°25'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 10K | Bremer |
| Brief Description: Tornado moved in from Butler County and touched down again, mostly in open field. A car and garage was damaged in Bremer County. A strong upper level low pressure lifted northeast out of the southern Plains during the afternoon of the 6th. During the heating of the afternoon, thunderstorms erupted in the unstable air. The freezing level was around 15,000 feet, so hail was not a great threat. Surface dew point temperatures were in the upper 60s to low 70s with precipitable water values around 1.75 inches. Thunderstorms fired southwest of the Des Moines metropolitan area. A tornado touched down in rural Madison County. The tornado was about 60 feet wide and produced a half mile long path of damage in open country. As the storms moved northeast they continued to intensity. One cell dropped a tornado at the Glen Oaks Golf Course in West Des Moines, causing some minor damage there. The tornado tracked northeast and flipped a semi tractor-trailer truck in Interstate 35 resulting in one injury. It continued northeast and hit an apartment complex causing damage to the building and destroying an 8-car garage. The path was more intermittent as it continued northeast into the city. There were numerous reports of trees and power lines being downed. The tornado lifted as the event transitioned into a high wind event. The storms produced wind damage in Johnston as it moved through the area. High winds of 80 to 85 MPH occurred in northern Polk and southern Story Counties before they weakened. A grain bin was flattened, along with tree and crop damage, as the storm moved through the Elkhart area. Just northwest of that, in Slater, high winds took the roof off of a house in southern Story County. One person in the house was injured. The storms continued to track northeast, eventually dropping another tornado in Butler and Bremer Counties. The tornado had a somewhat intermittent track touching down south of Shell Rock and lifting northeast of Waverly. For the most part the tornado tracked through corn fields there. One farmstead was hit in Butler County. A grain bin was destroyed and blown one quarter of a mile across a field, another was blown off its foundation, a shed was destroyed, and crops were damaged. In Bremer County, one car and a garage were damaged along the tornadoes path. Another farmstead was hit north of Waverly. Part of a machine garage was destroyed and blown about 30 feet off of its foundation. | |||||||||||
| 45.3 | 1980-06-05 | 2 | 43°58'N / 91°51'W | 43°53'N / 91°51'W | 5.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Winona |
| 45.9 | 1965-05-05 | 3 | 43°41'N / 91°44'W | 43°51'N / 91°27'W | 18.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Houston |
| 45.9 | 1980-05-29 | 2 | 43°11'N / 93°12'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cerro Gordo | |
| 47.2 | 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 |
| 47.9 | 2001-05-01 | 2 | 43°34'N / 93°17'W | 43°37'N / 93°10'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 20.0M | 0 | Freeborn |
| Brief Description: Tornado first touched down on the western fringe of Glenville, and produced major damage, especially on the northwest side of Glenville. There were 25 homes that sustained major damage, and 70 with minor damage. Damage survey indicated F2 damage on northwest side of Glenville, with F1 damage along rest of path. | |||||||||||
| 48.2 | 1999-07-08 | 2 | 44°00'N / 91°54'W | 43°58'N / 91°51'W | 3.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.0M | 60K | Winona |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down just northwest of Lewiston (Winona County), then moved into the middle of town and intensified. Numerous homes along Main Street had extensive damage with broken windows, damaged roofs and downed trees. One home had the entire roof taken off, while at least 4 cars were demolished from debris landing on them. A farm southeast of town had every building destroyed, except the house. Of the 1,300 population in Lewiston, only two people sustained minor injuries. Elsewhere across southeast Minnesota, spotters and law enforcement officials reported hail up to 2 inches in diameter along with trees and power lines knocked down. | |||||||||||
| 48.2 | 1998-06-27 | 2 | 42°40'N / 92°34'W | 42°42'N / 92°29'W | 5.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 1K | Bremer |
| Brief Description: Iowa was located in the warm sector of a developing storm system to the west. The warm front had moved to the northern Iowa border during the afternoon of the 27th with dew point temperatures in the mid 70s to around 80 blanketing the state in the warm sector. Initially, the airmass was capped, preventing thunderstorms from forming during the afternoon. Slightly cooler air moved in during the evening hours. In addition to the slightly cooler air moving in aloft, a cold front was poised over eastern Nebraska ready to move east into the state. Thunderstorms erupted rapidly by early evening with hail and high winds reported over northern Iowa. There were numerous reports of hail of an inch or larger in diameter, with a few reports of golf ball size hail. High winds were also a problem with many of the storms producing 60 to 70 MPH wind gusts. Reports of tree and power line damage were widespread. There were a few tornadoes as well. One tracked across open country in Cerro Gordo County before damaging a house south of Clear Lake. Another tornado touched down near Swaledale in Cerro Gordo County and passed southeast of Mason City. Much of the track was over open country, however one house was destroyed near Swaledale by this tornado. The longest track tornado moved across Butler and Bremer Counties. It also passed through open country, causing damage to crops and out buildings. In addition to these, there were a few brief touchdowns reported. Iowa soil remained very saturated with numerous rivers at or near flood stage. Heavy rainfall of near 4 inches in a couple hours time caused flash flooding in Cerro Gordo County. A widespread area of north central into northeast Iowa received heavy rainfall. Many areas picked up two to four inches of rain in a few hour period. This resulted in urban and small stream flooding, and ultimately general river flooding in the days that followed. As the storms moved through Worth County, lightning struck an outbuilding west of Kensett. The building was set on fire and destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 48.3 | 1982-05-17 | 3 | 43°35'N / 93°17'W | 43°42'N / 93°08'W | 10.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Freeborn |
| 49.5 | 1953-05-10 | 2 | 43°45'N / 93°12'W | 43°48'N / 93°04'W | 6.90 Miles | 67 Yards | 6 | 3 | 3K | 0 | Freeborn |
* 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.