Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 28, 1995

Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage.

A very warm and unstable air mass was over Iowa as a stationarrowy front extended from central Nebraska into southern Wisconsin. CAPE values were between 3000 and 4000 J-kg-1 over the state. Thunderstorms erupted over northwest Iowa and spread into the north central and eventually the northeast counties. For the most part the storms just produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds. During the early stages of the systems development there was some severe weather. High winds were reported in Worth County. Seventy mile an hour winds blew through areas south of Mason City in Cerro Gordo County southeast to the Rockwell area a small bow echo traversed the area. Other high winds occurred in the Estherville area of Emmet County with numerous trees down and also at Marquette in Clayton County. One of the storms produced a brief spin up tornado, or gustnado, northwest of Garner. An observer reported the brief touchdown in his front yard. Damage was very minor however. The storms produced copious amounts of rain. Parts of Cerro Gordo County, south of Mason City, received between five and six inches of rain in under three hours. Two and one half inches fell in an hours time. Widespread street flooding was reported with most streets under at least six inches of water. Parts of the city reported water knee deep. The water receded fairly quickly as antecedent conditions were very dry. The storms the dumped the heavy rainfall were the result of back development from the storms that moved through earlier in the evening. One of the storms did become severe and caused damage to several cabins northeast of Clarion. High winds downed several trees in the area as well. Farther to the east and south, a thunderstorm downed trees in the Ackley area. Winds of at least 70 MPH in what appeared to be a downburst completely flattened 32 acres of a corn field northeast of town.

A very warm and unstable air mass was over Iowa as a stationarrowy front extended from central Nebraska into southern Wisconsin. CAPE values were between 3000 and 4000 J-kg-1 over the state. Thunderstorms erupted over northwest Iowa and spread into the north central and eventually the northeast counties. For the most part the storms just produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds. During the early stages of the systems development there was some severe weather. High winds were reported in Worth County. Seventy mile an hour winds blew through areas south of Mason City in Cerro Gordo County southeast to the Rockwell area a small bow echo traversed the area. Other high winds occurred in the Estherville area of Emmet County with numerous trees down and also at Marquette in Clayton County. One of the storms produced a brief spin up tornado, or gustnado, northwest of Garner. An observer reported the brief touchdown in his front yard. Damage was very minor however. The storms produced copious amounts of rain. Parts of Cerro Gordo County, south of Mason City, received between five and six inches of rain in under three hours. Two and one half inches fell in an hours time. Widespread street flooding was reported with most streets under at least six inches of water. Parts of the city reported water knee deep. The water receded fairly quickly as antecedent conditions were very dry. The storms the dumped the heavy rainfall were the result of back development from the storms that moved through earlier in the evening. One of the storms did become severe and caused damage to several cabins northeast of Clarion. High winds downed several trees in the area as well. Farther to the east and south, a thunderstorm downed trees in the Ackley area. Winds of at least 70 MPH in what appeared to be a downburst completely flattened 32 acres of a corn field northeast of town.