Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 29, 1980

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 29, 1980
Start: 1980-05-29T11:00
End: 1980-05-29T22:33
Location: Iowa

May 29, 1980 · NWS NG · 42 events in 26 counties and zones

26 thunderstorm wind, 9 tornado, 7 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $175,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 42

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

26 thunderstorm wind, 9 tornado, 7 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Lyon

When: May 29, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Lyon County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 43.430, -96.180

Hail, Mahaska

When: May 29, 12:30 PM CST
Where: Mahaska County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 41.300, -92.650

Tornado, Lyon

When: May 29, 4:15 PM CST
Where: Lyon County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 60 yd
Coordinates: 43.320, -96.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Lyon

When: May 29, 4:15 PM CST
Where: Lyon County
Coordinates: 43.430, -96.180

Tornado, Cerro Gordo

When: May 29, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Cerro Gordo County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 43.180, -93.200

Hail, Plymouth

When: May 29, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 42.830, -96.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: May 29, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County
Coordinates: 42.900, -96.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When: May 29, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Sioux County
Coordinates: 43.080, -96.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: May 29, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County
Coordinates: 42.780, -96.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When: May 29, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Sioux County
Coordinates: 42.980, -96.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: May 29, 5:35 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County
Coordinates: 42.780, -96.030

Tornado, Buena Vista

When: May 29, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Buena Vista County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.9 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 42.600, -94.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Kossuth

When: May 29, 7:02 PM CST
Where: Kossuth County
Coordinates: 43.080, -94.000

Tornado, Pocahontas

When: May 29, 7:14 PM CST
Where: Pocahontas County
Rating: F1
Path length: 2.3 mi
Path width: 33 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 42.600, -94.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When: May 29, 7:14 PM CST
Where: Mitchell County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 43.380, -92.930

Hail, Kossuth

When: May 29, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Kossuth County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 43.070, -94.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Kossuth

When: May 29, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Kossuth County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 43.070, -94.330

Hail, Worth

When: May 29, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Worth County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 43.450, -93.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Worth

When: May 29, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Worth County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 43.450, -93.220

Tornado, Howard

When: May 29, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Howard County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Coordinates: 43.380, -92.550

Tornado, Webster

When: May 29, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Webster County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 42.520, -94.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When: May 29, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Mitchell County
Coordinates: 43.370, -92.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: May 29, 8:15 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County
Coordinates: 42.630, -96.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Floyd

When: May 29, 8:29 PM CST
Where: Floyd County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 43.150, -93.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodbury

When: May 29, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Woodbury County
Coordinates: 42.230, -95.720

Hail, Hancock

When: May 29, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Hancock County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 43.100, -93.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Hancock

When: May 29, 8:40 PM CST
Where: Hancock County
Coordinates: 43.100, -93.820

Tornado, Hamilton

When: May 29, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Hamilton County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 42.370, -93.820

Tornado, Harrison

When: May 29, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Harrison County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 41.830, -95.830

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: May 29, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Franklin County
Coordinates: 42.750, -93.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: May 29, 9:07 PM CST
Where: Shelby County
Coordinates: 41.730, -95.530

Tornado, Carroll

When: May 29, 9:20 PM CST
Where: Carroll County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 42.120, -94.930

Hail, Floyd

When: May 29, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Floyd County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 43.070, -92.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Floyd

When: May 29, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Floyd County
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.070, -92.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Chickasaw

When: May 29, 9:48 PM CST
Where: Chickasaw County
Coordinates: 42.780, -92.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Pottawattamie

When: May 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Pottawattamie County
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 41.320, -95.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Buren

When: May 29, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Van Buren County
Coordinates: 41.580, -96.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Webster

When: May 29, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Webster County
Coordinates: 42.520, -94.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Bremer

When: May 29, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Bremer County
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.730, -92.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Cass

When: May 29, 10:20 PM CST
Where: Cass County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 41.400, -95.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Black Hawk

When: May 29, 10:27 PM CST
Where: Black Hawk County
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph)
Coordinates: 42.550, -92.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Black Hawk

When: May 29, 10:33 PM CST
Where: Black Hawk County
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.520, -92.450

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 1980 Every state in 1980 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Iowa, 1980

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: 10013940, 10013941, 10014512, 10014513, 10014514, 10014731, 10014732, 10014733, 10014734, 10014735, 10014736, 10014737, 10014738, 10014739, 10014740, 10014741, 10014742, 10014743, 10014744, 10014745, 10014746, 10014747, 10014748, 10014749, 10014750, 10014751, 10014752, 10014753, 10014754, 10014755, 10014756, 10014757, 10014758, 10014759, 10014760, 10014761, 10014762, 10014763, 10014764, 10014765, and more.