Iowa, 1973

Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 18, 1973

June 18, 1973 · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

6 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
15
Property damage
$500,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wright

When
June 18, 2:45 AM CST
Where
Wright County
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Coordinates
42.720, -93.750

Thunderstorm Wind,

When
June 18, 3:24 AM CST
Where
County
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates
42.400, -96.380

Tornado, Woodbury

When
June 18, 3:40 AM CST
Where
Woodbury County
Rating
F2
Path length
2 mi
Path width
400 yd
Deaths
2 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
10 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
42.480, -96.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Cerro Gordo

When
June 18, 3:45 AM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates
43.150, -93.330

Tornado, Woodbury

When
June 18, 3:46 AM CST
Where
Woodbury County
Rating
F2
Path length
1 mi
Path width
300 yd
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
42.470, -96.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Lucas

When
June 18, 7:45 AM CST
Where
Lucas County
Coordinates
40.920, -93.300

Hail, Wapello

When
June 18, 9:32 AM CST
Where
Wapello County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.100, -92.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When
June 18, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Scott County
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Coordinates
41.520, -90.570

Thunderstorm Wind,

When
June 18, 1:10 PM CST
Where
County
Coordinates
40.630, -91.280

What these are

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.
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.
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 1973Every state in 1973This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 1973

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: 10013349, 10013350, 10013351, 10013352, 10013353, 10013354, 10013355, 10013356, 10013357.