Iowa, 1962

Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 18, 1962

May 18, 1962 · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail, 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
0
Property damage
$275,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Shelby

When
May 18, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Shelby County
Rating
F1
Path length
3 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
41.600, -95.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Palo Alto

When
May 18, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Palo Alto County
Coordinates
43.080, -94.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Audubon

When
May 18, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Audubon County
Coordinates
41.580, -95.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Cerro Gordo

When
May 18, 3:50 PM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
43.200, -93.280

Hail, Monona

When
May 18, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Monona County
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
41.880, -95.780

Tornado, Monona

When
May 18, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Monona County
Rating
F1
Path length
1.9 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
42.100, -95.900

Hail, Boone

When
May 18, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Boone County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
42.000, -93.680

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.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1962Every state in 1962This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 1962

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: 10013014, 10013015, 10013016, 10013017, 10013018, 10013232, 10013233.