Iowa, 1973

Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, October 9, 1973

October 9, 1973 · 10 events in 4 counties and zones

7 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When
October 9, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Plymouth County
Coordinates
42.900, -96.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When
October 9, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Sioux County
Coordinates
43.080, -96.180

Tornado, Plymouth

When
October 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Plymouth County
Rating
F1
Path length
4.7 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
42.600, -96.250

Tornado, O'Brien

When
October 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where
O'Brien County
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
43.120, -95.780

Hail, Plymouth

When
October 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Plymouth County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
42.780, -96.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When
October 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Sioux County
Coordinates
43.070, -95.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Osceola

When
October 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Osceola County
Coordinates
43.400, -95.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When
October 9, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Plymouth County
Coordinates
42.720, -96.250

Thunderstorm Wind, O'Brien

When
October 9, 9:10 PM CST
Where
O'Brien County
Coordinates
43.180, -95.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Osceola

When
October 9, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Osceola County
Coordinates
43.420, -95.550

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: 10014456, 10014457, 10014458, 10014459, 10014460, 10014461, 10014462, 10014463, 10014464, 10014465.