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Merrill, IA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes

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The chance of earthquake damage in Merrill is about the same as Iowa average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Merrill is lower than Iowa average and is higher than the national average.

Topics:Earthquake Index Volcano Index Tornado Index Other Weather Extremes Events Volcanos Nearby Historical Earthquake Events Historical Tornado Events

Earthquake Index, #30

Merrill, IA	0.02
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

Merrill, 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, #787

Merrill, IA	205.15
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 3,505 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Merrill, 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:	36	Cold:	41	Dense Fog:	0	Drought:	9
Dust Storm:	0	Flood:	272	Hail:	1,616	Heat:	9	Heavy Snow:	28
High Surf:	0	Hurricane:	0	Ice Storm:	9	Landslide:	0	Strong Wind:	48
Thunderstorm Winds:	1,242	Tropical Storm:	0	Wildfire:	0	Winter Storm:	61	Winter Weather:	53
Other:	81

Volcanos Nearby

No volcano is found in or near Merrill, IA.

Historical Earthquake Events

No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Merrill, IA.

No historical earthquake events found in or near Merrill, IA.

Historical Tornado Events

A total of 75 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Merrill, IA.

Distance (miles)	Date	Magnitude	Start Lat/Log	End Lat/Log	Length	Width	Fatalities	Injuries	Property Damage	Crop Damage	Affected County
1.4	1964-09-07	2	42°42'N / 96°15'W		2.00 Miles	250 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Plymouth
6.1	1963-03-16	2	42°48'N / 96°12'W		2.00 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
6.1	1991-08-07	2	42°47'N / 96°10'W		1.50 Miles	63 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Plymouth
8.4	1965-06-07	3	42°52'N / 96°18'W	42°48'N / 96°05'W	11.50 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
9.9	1978-07-05	2	42°54'N / 96°33'W	42°47'N / 96°10'W	20.80 Miles	30 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Plymouth
10.5	1964-05-08	3	42°47'N / 96°10'W	42°49'N / 95°59'W	9.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
12.1	1967-06-14	2	42°53'N / 96°10'W		1.00 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
12.5	1954-05-27	2	42°49'N / 96°05'W	42°51'N / 96°02'W	2.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
14.0	1964-05-05	3	42°31'N / 96°25'W	42°34'N / 96°21'W	4.10 Miles	300 Yards	0	7	2.5M	0	Woodbury
14.7	1953-06-07	2	42°45'N / 96°36'W	42°52'N / 96°26'W	11.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Plymouth
15.3	1970-07-14	2	42°36'N / 96°00'W		1.00 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
16.2	1967-06-14	3	42°48'N / 96°35'W	42°52'N / 96°29'W	6.20 Miles	500 Yards	0	3	250K	0	Plymouth
18.5	1975-05-22	2	42°28'N / 96°22'W				0	0	25K	0	Woodbury
18.7	1963-06-09	2	42°46'N / 96°37'W		2.00 Miles	33 Yards	0	2	25K	0	Plymouth
18.9	1978-07-05	2	43°02'N / 96°15'W	42°56'N / 96°03'W	11.90 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Sioux
18.9	1973-06-18	2	42°29'N / 96°04'W		2.00 Miles	400 Yards	2	10	250K	0	Woodbury
19.1	1968-06-13	2	42°27'N / 96°20'W		0.10 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Woodbury
19.2	1979-05-08	3	42°27'N / 96°10'W				0	4	25K	0	Woodbury
19.2	1964-09-07	2	42°47'N / 95°58'W	42°47'N / 95°48'W	7.90 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Plymouth
20.3	1973-06-18	2	42°28'N / 96°03'W		1.00 Mile	300 Yards	0	5	250K	0	Woodbury
21.1	1991-08-07	2	42°49'N / 95°54'W	42°49'N / 95°49'W	3.00 Miles	80 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Plymouth
21.2	1964-05-05	3	42°34'N / 96°21'W	43°11'N / 95°26'W	62.90 Miles	300 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Plymouth
22.6	1987-07-07	2	43°01'N / 96°29'W	43°00'N / 96°27'W	2.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Sioux
22.7	1986-07-28	4	42°32'N / 96°41'W	42°25'N / 96°25'W	20.00 Miles	73 Yards	0	1	25.0M	0	Dakota
23.3	1991-08-07	2	42°49'N / 95°49'W	42°45'N / 95°47'W	5.00 Miles	80 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Cherokee
24.0	1966-06-02	2	43°06'N / 96°24'W	43°02'N / 96°11'W	11.50 Miles	300 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Sioux
25.0	1968-09-22	3	43°01'N / 96°04'W	43°04'N / 95°59'W	4.70 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Sioux
25.0	2001-08-17	2	42°27'N / 96°34'W	42°26'N / 96°34'W	1.50 Miles	400 Yards	0	3	3.0M	0	Dakota
		Brief Description: A tornado completely destroyed at least ten houses and heavily damaged several others. The tornado heavily damaged the town school, including taking most of the roof off the school. The only church in town and a telephone company building were also heavily damaged. Power lines, poles, and trees were blown down, and electricity and water service were knocked out. Three empty box cars on the southeast side of Jackson were toppled. Three injuries included a woman with a broken leg and cuts rescued from the rubble of a house, and two children with minor injuries.
25.1	1983-09-05	2	42°23'N / 96°04'W		2.50 Miles	127 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Woodbury
26.8	1987-07-07	2	43°04'N / 96°37'W	43°01'N / 96°29'W	6.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Union
26.8	1994-07-05	3	42°20'N / 96°18'W		1.80 Miles	150 Yards	0	0	500K	5K	Woodbury
28.5	1986-07-28	4	42°25'N / 96°23'W	42°12'N / 96°11'W	11.50 Miles	73 Yards	0	1	250.0M	0	Woodbury
28.6	1968-04-03	2	42°59'N / 95°49'W		0.50 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	25K	0	O'brien
30.1	1986-07-28	4	42°41'N / 96°58'W	42°32'N / 96°41'W	20.00 Miles	73 Yards	0	0	25.0M	0	Dixon
30.1	1958-04-01	2	42°44'N / 95°42'W	42°51'N / 95°38'W	8.30 Miles	200 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Cherokee
30.2	1984-06-07	2	42°39'N / 95°44'W	42°46'N / 95°35'W	10.00 Miles	77 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Cherokee
30.3	1979-08-08	2	43°04'N / 95°53'W		0.40 Mile	100 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Sioux
30.9	1965-06-07	3	42°55'N / 96°48'W				0	0	0K	0	Union
32.2	1952-06-23	4	42°45'N / 95°51'W	42°54'N / 95°25'W	24.10 Miles	400 Yards	0	4	2.5M	0	Cherokee
32.3	1981-09-26	2	42°47'N / 96°53'W				0	0	25K	0	Clay
32.8	2008-05-01	2	43°08'N / 96°18'W	43°15'N / 96°22'W	9.00 Miles	400 Yards	0	0	0.5M	0K	Sioux
		Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado damaged numerous trees, including large trees uprooted, blew windows out of a home, destroyed a metal shed, blew two windows and part of a wall out of a metal building, damaged at least three grain bins, destroyed or damaged numerous outbuildings and small sheds, blew down or snapped off at least 15 power poles, bent a metal light pole, tipped one wagon and blew the top off another, blew down a barb wire fence and pushed fence posts almost to the ground, destroyed a hog barn, and flattened corn stubble, before crossing the county line into Lyon County. Contents inside several damaged or destroyed buildings and sheds were also damaged, especially on one farm where damaged buildings housed a farm and trucking business. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms produced 5 confirmed tornadoes over extreme northwest Iowa during the early evening hours of May 1st. One large long track tornado caused considerable damage, while the other 4 tornadoes were short lived and weak.
33.1	1970-07-01	2	43°09'N / 96°36'W	43°08'N / 96°32'W	2.30 Miles	1320 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Lincoln
33.4	1963-05-12	2	42°13'N / 96°12'W	42°18'N / 95°55'W	15.20 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Woodbury
34.8	1967-08-16	2	42°47'N / 96°56'W				0	0	25K	0	Clay
35.6	1980-05-29	2	42°39'N / 96°59'W	42°41'N / 96°55'W	3.30 Miles	60 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Dixon
35.9	1998-06-23	2	42°12'N / 96°15'W	42°12'N / 96°15'W	2.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	0	0	Monona
		Brief Description: House destroyed.
36.0	1981-06-13	2	43°10'N / 95°53'W				0	0	3K	0	Sioux
37.2	1986-07-28	4	42°11'N / 96°14'W	42°11'N / 96°10'W	1.00 Mile	73 Yards	0	0	250.0M	0	Monona
37.3	1984-06-11	2	42°47'N / 96°59'W				0	0	25K	0	Clay
37.7	1954-06-19	2	43°17'N / 96°18'W	43°15'N / 96°15'W	2.30 Miles	880 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Lyon
39.0	1970-07-14	2	43°10'N / 96°48'W	43°07'N / 96°44'W	3.80 Miles	33 Yards	1	1	25.0M	0	Lincoln
40.1	1980-07-19	2	43°01'N / 95°37'W	43°04'N / 95°34'W	3.30 Miles	160 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	O'brien
41.1	1967-06-14	2	42°09'N / 96°29'W		0.50 Mile	33 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Thurston
41.8	1963-03-16	2	42°47'N / 95°26'W		2.00 Miles	250 Yards	0	0	3K	0	Cherokee
42.2	2008-06-11	2	42°58'N / 95°32'W	43°03'N / 95°30'W	6.00 Miles	300 Yards	0	0	200K	0K	O'brien
		Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado destroyed several outbuildings, moved a 1.5 ton wagon, heavily damaged a machine shed containing farm equipment and also damaged a nearby house on the same farm. Also destroyed another machine shed at a different location, destroyed a pole barn, damaged a grain bin, broke or blew down several power poles and power lines, and caused tree damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Thunderstorms produced several tornadoes, along with large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding in northwest Iowa during the late afternoon and early evening of June 11th.
42.3	1965-06-07	2	42°54'N / 97°03'W				0	0	0K	0	Clay
42.4	1992-05-16	2	42°22'N / 97°01'W	42°21'N / 96°50'W	8.00 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Dixon
42.5	1963-06-09	2	42°23'N / 97°20'W	42°35'N / 96°43'W	34.10 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Cedar
42.7	1984-06-07	2	42°25'N / 95°35'W	42°35'N / 95°21'W	16.00 Miles	150 Yards	0	1	2.5M	0	Ida
43.4	1998-05-28	2	42°33'N / 97°08'W	42°33'N / 97°01'W	8.00 Miles	250 Yards	0	1	0	0	Cedar
		Brief Description: Three farms damaged. Eight to ten power poles downed 8 -10 miles east southeast of Hartington. Injury occurred about 9 miles east of Hartington southeast of the Highway 84/57 interchange.
43.6	1965-06-07	2	43°04'N / 97°02'W	43°07'N / 96°52'W	8.60 Miles	210 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Clay
45.0	1954-06-17	3	42°07'N / 96°42'W	42°12'N / 96°42'W	5.70 Miles	163 Yards	1	0	250K	0	Thurston
45.7	1992-05-16	2	42°24'N / 97°02'W	42°22'N / 97°01'W	2.00 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Cedar
46.9	1970-06-15	2	42°02'N / 97°25'W	42°28'N / 96°25'W	59.10 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Madison
47.2	1986-04-26	2	43°21'N / 96°23'W	43°27'N / 96°19'W	9.50 Miles	70 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Lyon
47.3	1955-05-26	2	42°14'N / 97°00'W	42°19'N / 96°55'W	6.50 Miles	167 Yards	0	0	25K	0	Wayne
47.6	1964-06-22	2	43°07'N / 96°53'W	43°21'N / 96°53'W	16.10 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	0K	0	Lincoln
48.5	1955-06-17	2	42°15'N / 97°06'W	42°21'N / 96°56'W	10.60 Miles	40 Yards	0	0	3K	0	Wayne
48.7	1964-08-10	2	42°25'N / 97°07'W				0	0	25K	0	Cedar
48.7	2003-06-24	2	43°08'N / 96°58'W	43°11'N / 97°03'W	7.00 Miles	400 Yards	0	0	0	0	Turner
		Brief Description: A tornado damaged farm buildings and equipment, as well as crops, trees, and power lines.
48.9	1986-04-26	2	43°16'N / 96°55'W	43°15'N / 96°51'W	6.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Lincoln
49.0	1986-04-26	2	43°18'N / 96°40'W	43°24'N / 96°44'W	5.00 Miles	40 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Lincoln
49.5	1965-09-09	2	42°03'N / 95°54'W	42°07'N / 95°43'W	10.20 Miles	100 Yards	0	0	250K	0	Monona
49.9	1965-05-05	2	43°10'N / 95°29'W	43°24'N / 95°47'W	21.80 Miles	33 Yards	0	0	3K	0	O'brien
49.9	1986-04-26	2	43°14'N / 96°56'W	43°16'N / 96°55'W	6.00 Miles	50 Yards	0	0	2.5M	0	Turner

* 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.