Iowa, 1989

Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, May 24, 1989

May 24, 1989 · 52 events in 38 counties and zones

31 thunderstorm wind, 14 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
3
Property damage
$225 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
52

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

31 thunderstorm wind, 14 tornado, 7 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When
May 24, 12:03 AM CST
Where
Crawford County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
42.080, -95.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When
May 24, 12:30 AM CST
Where
Polk County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.670, -93.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When
May 24, 12:30 AM CST
Where
Jasper County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.700, -93.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When
May 24, 12:45 AM CST
Where
Polk County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.670, -93.530

Hail, Mahaska

When
May 24, 1:40 AM CST
Where
Mahaska County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.300, -92.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Marion

When
May 24, 1:45 AM CST
Where
Marion County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
41.420, -92.930

Hail, Lyon

When
May 24, 1:47 AM CST
Where
Lyon County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
43.350, -96.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Black Hawk

When
May 24, 2:48 AM CST
Where
Black Hawk County
Measured
82 kt (94 mph)
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
42.570, -92.170

Hail, Keokuk

When
May 24, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Keokuk County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.170, -92.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Buchanan

When
May 24, 3:15 AM CST
Where
Buchanan County
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates
42.500, -91.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Delaware

When
May 24, 3:25 AM CST
Where
Delaware County
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
42.480, -91.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Buchanan

When
May 24, 3:29 AM CST
Where
Buchanan County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
42.480, -92.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When
May 24, 3:30 AM CST
Where
Fayette County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
42.680, -91.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Des Moines

When
May 24, 3:30 AM CST
Where
Des Moines County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.000, -91.150

Hail, Jasper

When
May 24, 3:45 AM CST
Where
Jasper County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.520, -93.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Dubuque

When
May 24, 3:55 AM CST
Where
Dubuque County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
42.500, -90.670

Hail, Mahaska

When
May 24, 4:28 AM CST
Where
Mahaska County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
41.320, -92.650

Tornado, Adams

When
May 24, 5:11 PM CST
Where
Adams County
Rating
F4
Path length
12 mi
Path width
1,760 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
40.980, -94.720

Tornado, Hamilton

When
May 24, 5:20 PM CST
Where
Hamilton County
Rating
F4
Path length
19 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
42.230, -93.820

Tornado, Union

When
May 24, 5:37 PM CST
Where
Union County
Rating
F4
Path length
2 mi
Path width
300 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
40.900, -94.470

Tornado, Ringgold

When
May 24, 5:41 PM CST
Where
Ringgold County
Rating
F4
Path length
26 mi
Path width
300 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
40.880, -94.450

Hail, Union

When
May 24, 5:54 PM CST
Where
Union County
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
41.080, -94.370

Tornado, Story

When
May 24, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Story County
Rating
F4
Path length
13 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
42.180, -93.450

Tornado, Hardin

When
May 24, 6:19 PM CST
Where
Hardin County
Rating
F4
Path length
12.5 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
42.220, -93.220

Tornado, Decatur

When
May 24, 6:34 PM CST
Where
Decatur County
Rating
F4
Path length
9 mi
Path width
300 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
40.680, -93.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Ringgold

When
May 24, 6:40 PM CST
Where
Ringgold County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
40.800, -94.050

Tornado, Marshall

When
May 24, 6:42 PM CST
Where
Marshall County
Rating
F4
Path length
13.5 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
42.200, -93.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When
May 24, 6:50 PM CST
Where
Mitchell County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
43.420, -92.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Mitchell

When
May 24, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Mitchell County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
43.280, -92.820

Tornado, Tama

When
May 24, 7:07 PM CST
Where
Tama County
Rating
F4
Path length
8 mi
Path width
150 yd
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
42.180, -92.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Appanoose

When
May 24, 7:30 PM CST
Where
Appanoose County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
40.730, -92.850

Tornado, Wayne

When
May 24, 7:32 PM CST
Where
Wayne County
Rating
F1
Path length
2 mi
Path width
20 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
40.780, -93.530

Hail, Appanoose

When
May 24, 7:35 PM CST
Where
Appanoose County
Measured
1.5 in hail
Coordinates
40.750, -93.050

Tornado, Marshall

When
May 24, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Marshall County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$3,000
Coordinates
42.020, -92.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Grundy

When
May 24, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Grundy County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
42.320, -92.600

Tornado, Chickasaw

When
May 24, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Chickasaw County
Rating
F1
Path length
7.5 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
43.070, -92.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
May 24, 7:49 PM CST
Where
Franklin County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
42.870, -93.200

Thunderstorm Wind, Appanoose

When
May 24, 7:50 PM CST
Where
Appanoose County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
40.730, -92.870

Tornado, Winneshiek

When
May 24, 7:56 PM CST
Where
Winneshiek County
Rating
F1
Path length
2.5 mi
Path width
33 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
43.100, -92.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Howard

When
May 24, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Howard County
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates
43.380, -92.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Appanoose

When
May 24, 8:12 PM CST
Where
Appanoose County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
40.800, -92.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Davis

When
May 24, 8:15 PM CST
Where
Davis County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
40.750, -92.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Linn

When
May 24, 8:25 PM CST
Where
Linn County
Measured
58 kt (67 mph)
Coordinates
42.280, -91.830

Tornado, Clayton

When
May 24, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Clayton County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
23 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
42.970, -91.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When
May 24, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Benton County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
42.170, -92.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Linn

When
May 24, 8:49 PM CST
Where
Linn County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
42.000, -91.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Delaware

When
May 24, 8:52 PM CST
Where
Delaware County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
42.480, -91.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Jones

When
May 24, 9:18 PM CST
Where
Jones County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.980, -90.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
May 24, 9:20 PM CST
Where
Johnson County
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
41.670, -91.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Cedar

When
May 24, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Cedar County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.770, -91.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
May 24, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Johnson County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
41.480, -91.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Muscatine

When
May 24, 9:40 PM CST
Where
Muscatine County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
41.420, -91.050

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1989Every state in 1989This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Iowa, 1989Warnings in Iowa, May 1989

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: 10027298, 10027299, 10027300, 10027301, 10027302, 10027303, 10027304, 10027305, 10027306, 10027307, 10027308, 10027309, 10027310, 10027311, 10027312, 10027313, 10027314, 10027315, 10027316, 10027317, 10027318, 10027319, 10028174, 10028175, 10028176, 10028177, 10028178, 10028395, 10028396, 10028397, 10028398, 10028399, 10028400, 10028401, 10028402, 10028403, 10028404, 10028405, 10028406, 10028407, and more.