Iowa, 1997

Flash Flood and Hail in Iowa, August 16, 1997

August 16, 1997 · NWS DVN · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Widespread thunderstorms brought a full range of severe weather to the area. Tornadoes, damaging thunderstorm winds, large hail, and very heavy rains were all reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 DVN wrote it up.

Widespread thunderstorms brought a full range of severe weather to the area. Tornadoes, damaging thunderstorm winds, large hail, and very heavy rains were all reported. The only confirmed tornado tracked across open country causing no damage or injuries; however, numerous funnel clouds were reported. Several rainfall reports of one to two inches of rain per hour were received, but widespread flash flooding was not reported.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Scott

When
August 16, 6:52 PM CST
Where
Scott County, Le Claire
Coordinates
41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tree exploded due to lightning strike.

Hail, Scott

When
August 16, 6:55 PM CST
Where
Scott County, Le Claire
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
41.600, -90.280

Hail, Muscatine

When
August 16, 8:06 PM CST
Where
Muscatine County, 5 mi N of Muscatine
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
41.480, -91.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnson

When
August 16, 8:20 PM CST
Where
Johnson County, Countywide
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
41.620, -91.620

Thunderstorm winds snapped off trees across southern Johnson county, while the main storm remained across Muscatine county.

Flash Flood, Muscatine

When
August 16, 9:23 PM CST
Where
Muscatine County, Muscatine
Coordinates
41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 61 bypass impassable due to water over the road. 0.91 inches of rain were reported in 15 minutes.

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, August 1997

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: 5609901, 5609902, 5609903, 5609904, 5609905.