Tornado and Damaging Winds in Iowa, July 5, 1994

Name: Tornado and Damaging Winds in Iowa, July 5, 1994
Start: 1994-07-05T00:00
End: 1994-07-05T23:15
Location: Iowa

July 5, 1994 · 22 events in 9 counties and zones

21 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: $2.1 million
Crop damage: $238,000
Events: 22

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

21 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodbury

When: July 5, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Woodbury County, Moville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodbury

When: July 5, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Woodbury County, Le Mars
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodbury

When: July 5, 12:02 AM CST
Where: Woodbury County, Climbing Hill
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $50
Coordinates: 42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: July 5, 12:04 AM CST
Where: Plymouth County to Le Mars
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $50
Coordinates: 42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: July 5, 12:04 AM CST
Where: Plymouth County, Wrn Le Mars
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $50
Coordinates: 42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Monona

When: July 5, 12:05 AM CST
Where: Monona County, Whiting
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $50
Coordinates: 42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodbury

When: July 5, 12:14 AM CST
Where: Woodbury County, Pierson
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Sioux

When: July 5, 12:15 AM CST
Where: Sioux County, Boyden
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Monona

When: July 5, 12:22 AM CST
Where: Monona County, Soldier
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When: July 5, 12:29 AM CST
Where: Cherokee County, Cleghorn
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Ida

When: July 5, 12:30 AM CST
Where: Ida County, Battle Creek
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.387, -95.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: July 5, 12:32 AM CST
Where: Crawford County, Charter Oak
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 42.037, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: July 5, 12:32 AM CST
Where: Crawford County, Charter Oak
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 42.037, -95.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Ida

When: July 5, 12:45 AM CST
Where: Ida County, Ida Grove
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 42.387, -95.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Ida

When: July 5, 1:00 AM CST
Where: Ida County, Arthur
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.387, -95.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Monona

When: July 5, 1:13 AM CST
Where: Monona County, Mapleton
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Dickinson

When: July 5, 1:20 AM CST
Where: Dickinson County, Spirit Lake
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 43.378, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Emmet

When: July 5, 1:50 AM CST
Where: Emmet County, Estherville
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $50
Coordinates: 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Very unstable air moved over the central U.S. This moist and unstable air overran a surface frontal boundary extending from central Minnesota, through eastern South Dakota, into western Kansas. Convective available potential energy was nearly 5000 J-Kg-1, with lifted indices in the -8 to -10 range given surface dew point temperatures in the middle to upper 70s. Thunderstorms erupted over north central Nebraska into south central and southeast South Dakota. The storms quickly organized into a mesoscale convective system, which took on a bow echo configuration as it traversed northeast Nebraska. The principle feature with this event was high winds. There was little significant hail and rainfall did not become excessive since the entire system was moving east at 45 MPH. Sixty to 70 MPH winds raked parts of northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. The winds crossed the Iowa border around the stroke of midnight on the 5th. Trees were downed and power cut off in several areas. Some of the stronger winds moved through Crawford County. The storms produced 65 MPH winds in Monona County before gaining strength. In Crawford County, winds around 80 MPH ripped windows out of houses, caused some structural damage to others, and tore several barn doors off south and west of the town of Charter Oak. Ida Grove, in Ida County, was also hard hit by the high winds. Trees were downed and damage was reported to several houses. County sheriff reports from the county indicate that tree and power line damage was extensive around the county. The winds caused damage to crops in their path as well. Though the crop was not destroyed, some yield loss was expected as many farmers reported the corn crop leaning. Spotty damage was reported in the Iowa Great Lakes region as 70 MPH winds swept through the resort area. The damage was not severe, but some campers were tipped over by the wind. Winds around 75 MPH swept into Sioux County as well. Significant damage was done to buildings on a farmstead near Hawarden. Other structural damage occurred in Boyden. Lightning struck a house in Le Mars. The strike caused a gas line fire, however the fire was quickly contained. The storms weakened rapidly during the early morning hours. WSR-88D radar in Des Moines indicated the outflow boundary had advanced nearly 50 miles ahead of the line of thunderstorms. Shortly after the outflow advanced so far ahead of the system, rapid weakening occurred.

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: July 5, 7:39 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County, Le Mars
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Woodbury

When: July 5, 7:40 PM CST to 9:30 PM CST
Where: Woodbury County, Salix to to Salix
Rating: F3
Path length: 1.8 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.330, -96.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Plymouth

When: July 5, 9:39 PM CST
Where: Plymouth County, Le Mars
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Monona

When: July 5, 11:15 PM CST
Where: Monona County, Onawa
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $500
Coordinates: 42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 1994 Every state in 1994 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Iowa, 1994 Warnings in Iowa, July 1994

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: 10324067, 10324068, 10324069, 10323677, 10323678, 10323880, 10324070, 10324177, 10323881, 10321497, 10324301, 10321641, 10321642, 10324302, 10324303, 10323882, 10321719, 10321770, 10323679, 10324122, 10323680, 10323883.