Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 3, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 3, 1997
Start: 1997-08-03T15:05
End: 1997-08-03T19:50
Location: Iowa

August 3, 1997 · NWS DVN · 11 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of severe thunderstorms brought widespread damaging winds and heavy rains. 46,000 electrical customers in the Quad Cities area were left without power due to widespread downed power lines.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 3
Property damage: $210,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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.

A line of severe thunderstorms brought widespread damaging winds and heavy rains. 46,000 electrical customers in the Quad Cities area were left without power due to widespread downed power lines. Newspaper quotes from electrical company spokesman, called this the largest outage since the ice storm of January 1993. Winds were strong enough to snap cables which held a Bettendorf, Iowa casino riverboat to the dock. The boat and 1,076 passengers then took an unexpected cruse on the Mississippi River for 90 minutes before they could be re-docked. One Casino employee was injured by flying glass; no other injuries were reported. Wind damage was also done to several wooden buildings at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. Winds struck on the final day of the fair, felling many large trees, flattened every booth and tent, and knocking over portable bathrooms.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 10 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Scott

When: August 3, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Bettendorf
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 41.530, -90.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: August 3, 3:10 PM CST to 3:15 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Davenport
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 41.530, -90.580

Wind blew a tree into an occupied car. The two occupants suffered minor injuries.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: August 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Bettendorf
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 41.530, -90.520

Numerous trees downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: August 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Davenport
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.530, -90.580

Wind damage to several wooden buildings at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds. Winds struck on the final day of the fair, felling many large trees, flattening every booth and tent, and knocking over portable bathrooms.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: August 3, 3:20 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Bettendorf
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 41.530, -90.520

Winds were strong enough to snap cables which held a Bettendorf, Iowa casino riverboat to the Dock. The Casino boat and 1,076 patrons then took an unexpected cruse in the MIssissippi River for 90 minutes before they could be re-docked. One Casino employee was injured by flying glass, no other injuries were reported.

Lightning, Scott

When: August 3, 3:48 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Davenport Arpt
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Well-grounded National Weather Service Radar was damaged by lightning strike.

Hail, Scott

When: August 3, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Parkview
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 41.700, -90.580

Hail, Benton

When: August 3, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Walford
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 41.880, -91.850

Hail, Scott

When: August 3, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Davenport
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 41.530, -90.580

Hail, Dubuque

When: August 3, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Dubuque County, Dubuque
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 42.500, -90.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Dubuque

When: August 3, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Dubuque County, Dubuque
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.500, -90.670

Trees and power lines downed.

What these are

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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5609889, 5609890, 5609891, 5609892, 5609893, 5609894, 5609895, 5609896, 5609897, 5609898, 5609899.