Iowa, 1996

Damaging Wind in Iowa, May 27, 1996

May 27, 1996 · NWS DMX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon hours as the air mass became very unstable due to cooling aloft. Thunderstorms moved over north central Iowa bringing with them high winds.

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
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.

Thunderstorms erupted during the afternoon hours as the air mass became very unstable due to cooling aloft. Thunderstorms moved over north central Iowa bringing with them high winds. A wind gust around 70 MPH in the Clear Lake area blew the roof off a barn, blew a car off of the highway, and places a canoe in the middle of a farm field.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cerro Gordo

When
May 27, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo County, Clear Lake
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
43.130, -93.380

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, May 1996

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: 5545087.