Iowa, 1953

Tornadoes in Iowa, May 10, 1953

May 10, 1953 · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

6 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
5
Property damage
$800,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

6 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Wayne

When
May 10, 3:15 PM CST
Where
Wayne County
Rating
F4
Path length
6.4 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
40.870, -93.330

Tornado, Hancock

When
May 10, 4:10 PM CST
Where
Hancock County
Rating
F4
Path length
6.4 mi
Path width
33 yd
Injuries
3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
43.070, -93.520

Tornado, Tama

When
May 10, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Tama County
Rating
F2
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
41.880, -92.450

Tornado, Cerro Gordo

When
May 10, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County
Rating
F4
Path length
20.2 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
43.170, -93.500

Tornado, Howard

When
May 10, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Howard County
Rating
F4
Path length
1.9 mi
Path width
33 yd
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
43.450, -92.400

Tornado, Clayton

When
May 10, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Clayton County
Rating
F3
Path length
6.6 mi
Path width
400 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
42.950, -91.330

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1953Every state in 1953This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 1953

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10017029, 10017030, 10017031, 10017032, 10017033, 10017034.